


In The Dark I Hide

by SherlockianWhovian



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Blood Drinking, Blood and Violence, Bloodlust, CSSNS, Captain Swan - Freeform, Captain Swan Supernatural Summer, Character Death, F/M, Human Emma Swan, Human/Vampire Relationship, Storybrooke, Vampire AU, Vampire Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Vampire Milah, Vampire Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Vampire Turning, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-06-24 08:53:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 26,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15627174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockianWhovian/pseuds/SherlockianWhovian
Summary: Killian Jones hates being a vampire and has spent centuries living alone after being left behind by his makers. His present and his future are changed entirely when he meets Sheriff Emma Swan.





	1. The Past

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thank you to Kayla (allons-y-to-hogwarts-713), who created fab art for this fic and acted as a beta reader for me too. Without your suggestions, this fic couldn't have reached its full potential! Also a thank you to Krystal (kmomof4) for organizing the event, providing unwavering encouragement and making some alterations!

“Come along, brother. Won’t you celebrate with us?” Liam asked, leaning against the wall in his Lieutenant’s cabin.

“An officer should stay aboard the ship.” Killian replied, carefully brushing his hat to remove dust and loose threads.

“Nonsense! We’re in a friendly port, the crew assigned to the watch are more than capable of looking after the ship without you breathing down their necks.” Liam chuckled.

“There is lots that I can do aboard to lighten our workload tomorrow.” Killian protested, not looking up from his work.

“You’re coming ashore and that’s an order from your Captain, Lieutenant.” Liam said, his tone becoming stern, “You need some downtime, you can’t just work and work until you collapse.”

“Don’t you think it would be bad form for the men to discover that their Lieutenant is a drunkard?” Killian snapped, putting his hat down and turning to face his brother.

“That’s what this is about?” Liam sighed, “You’ve not touched a drop in months.”

“And yet the craving remains.” Killian replied, “Why go towards temptation?”

“We have appearances to maintain, brother. You don’t have to order a drop of alcohol, but you need to appear to celebrate with the men, if only for an hour or two.” Liam said gently.

“It’s not so easy as not ordering the stuff!” Killian exclaimed, “You know what that healer said about me! That I have obsessive traits in my personality, that once I become fixated on something I can’t stop, well alcohol is what I’m fixated on!”

“Keep your voice down!” Liam hissed, “You’re not really listening to the mad ramblings of that old medicine woman, are you?”

“She was a psychic, she told me what I’d become!” Killian argued, “She said that one day soon, it would be liquid that would sustain me. That I’d have nothing but what I drank to keep me going from night to night!”

“She was a fraud!” Liam shouted, finally losing his temper, “Anyone could have told you that if you continued to drink then you’d be drinking for the rest of your life!”

“I’ve worked so hard to stay sober, I don’t want it all to go to waste.” Killian said, running a hand through his hair.

“It won’t, little brother.” Liam assured him, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder, “Now pull yourself together and let’s do what we must to present a united front.”

 

\---

 

A warm, sunny day became a cool night, and the navy crew filled the small tavern, their celebrations echoing around the quiet street. Liam and Killian stood outside the tavern with a handful of men, laughing and joking as they took time to unwind after weeks at sea. While the others helped themselves to rum and beer, Killian stuck to water, unwilling to succumb to the call of alcohol, even for appearances sake.

Across the street, in a small alleyway cloaked by darkness, two demons lurked with their red pupils fixed on the group of sailors.

“I always did like a man in uniform,” the female smirked, her back pressed against the cold brick wall as she admired the group.

“With so many to choose from, which one will be your prey?” the male asked, breathing in the humans’ scents.

“What kind of question is that, Rumple?” she chuckled with a roll of her eyes, glancing back at him, “I want the one that smells the best.”

“Ah, so that one then? You always did have such good taste, my dearest Milah,” he replied, his eyes focusing on the dark-haired sailor in the middle of the group. “He does look rather uptight. What fun would he be?”

“Forget the fun, don't you think he'd be delicious?" she murmured, licking her lips, “The perfect little treat for us after months of humans that all taste so dreadfully similar.”

"He's not going to be an easy one to catch, not with that brother of his hanging around," he said, picking up the familiar spicy scents in both brothers' blood, “Naval crews dock here fairly regularly though, so we can make a plan to steal him away. This might be our longest hunt yet.”

"I just love a waiting game." she chuckled, leaning back into her husband, “We can make our plan perfect, so no one will ever know what happened to him.”

“Where shall we put the body?” he asked, placing soft kisses against her neck.

“This town is so close to the sea, we may as well make use of it,” she replied, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of his lips against her skin. “I’d hate to dig up that pretty little garden outside our cottage.”

The navy men continued to laugh and drink together in peace, without realising that one of them had been marked for death by the two demons watching from across the street.

 

\---

 

Lieutenant Jones was captivated by her the moment she entered the tavern, of that Milah was certain. It had been months of watching, waiting and planning before the right moment finally arrived. The older brother had returned to the ship, leaving his younger brother unprotected in the tavern for the first time. Normally the two went almost everywhere together, but this time Lieutenant Jones had chosen to remain in the tavern and had unknowingly sealed his fate.

“May I buy you a drink?” he asked, coming to stand beside her at the bar.

“Yes, I’d very much like a drink from you,” she replied with a smile, turning to face him. Her tinted spectacles hid her red pupils and allowed her to stare at his unblemished throat without him noticing.

“Why does such a beautiful woman wear such dark glasses?” he asked, reaching up to take hold of her glasses.

“Light gives me headaches,” she replied, capturing his hand in her own to prevent him from removing them. “I’ll have what you’re drinking.”

“Ah, then I’m afraid you’d just be drinking water,” he said with a slightly sheepish smile.

“Water is fine,” she assured, wondering to herself if his scent was stronger because it wasn’t covered by the smell of rum like other sailors’.

“Are you sure? I can get you something stronger,” he replied. “You don’t have to turn down alcohol just because I have for the evening.”

“The drink doesn’t matter to me,” she chuckled, “I just want to get to know you.”

A light blush coloured his cheeks and he smiled, “Water it is then.” He slid a few coins across the bar towards the barman and carried the two tankards of water over to a free table.

“Do you live in the town?” he asked curiously as they sat down in a quiet corner together, “I’d remember if I’d seen you in a tavern here before.”

“I do, but I don’t frequent taverns,” she replied, holding the tankard between her hands but not drinking from it. “I saw you enter earlier and it’s taken me this long to build my courage enough to talk to you.”

“May I ask for your name?” he inquired with a hopeful smile.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,” she replied with a playful wink.

“Lieutenant Killian Jones of the King’s Navy, at your service,” he introduced himself, taking her hand and placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

“Milah Gold,” she introduced herself, “Call me Milah, please.”

“Only if you call me Killian,” he agreed, keeping hold of her hand.

“Deal.” She chuckled, squeezing his hand and enjoying every inhale of his scent. After so long of craving his blood, finally she’d get a taste of it.

"Will you walk me home? It’s getting late," she said after a couple of hours spent talking, laughing, and subtly pouring her water anywhere but into her mouth.

"I will," he agreed with a nod and a polite smile, getting to his feet and offering her his arm.

"Such a gentleman," she praised, linking their arms and walking beside him from the tavern.

"Where is it that you live?" he asked curiously.

"On the outskirts of town, it is but a short walk, I hope you don't mind?" she replied.

"I don't mind at all," he assured, resting his hand over hers as they made their way into the dark night.

 

\---

 

"Your home is further still?" Killian asked when they reached the treeline at the edge of the town.

Milah nodded, "It's a small cottage, handed down through generations. I haven't the heart to find another."

"Lead the way," he encouraged, keeping their arms linked but allowing her to guide him through the trees. He was beginning to feel that something was wrong with the situation when finally they arrived at a small cottage.

"Do you live here alone?" he asked, opening the gate for her and leading her to the doorstep.

"No, my husband lives here too," she replied casually.

"Your husband?" he repeated, immediately unlinking their arms and putting space between them. "I wasn't aware you were married."

"I know. I wouldn't have been able to bring you here if you thought I was married," she replied simply.

"Why did you bring me here?" he asked, backing away from her.

"To drain your blood, dear Lieutenant. I'm a vampire, you see," she replied with a dark smile, removing her spectacles and revealing her red eyes, “I couldn’t resist, you smell simply delicious.”

His eyes widened in horror at her words and he quickly turned to flee, jumping over the garden gate and making it just a few metres from the cottage before Rumple caught him and dragged him back.

"I do love it when they run," he smirked, licking his lips as he inhaled the sailor's mouth watering scent.

“Get the hell off me!” Killian shouted, attempting and failing to get free of the man’s hold, “I’m a Lieutenant in the King’s Navy, you can’t do this!”

“We’re vampires, we can do whatever we like to you.” Rumple smirked, “The less you fight us, the more enjoyable this could be for you.”

“Please, no!” Killian gasped, leaning as far away as he could as Rumple leaned in to his neck.

"Not yet, Rumple, get him inside first. I want to savour him," Milah called, opening the door of the cottage so Rumple could take their captive inside.

"You can't do this! You can't just kill me!" Killian said desperately as he was dragged into the cottage, “There are people that will look for me!”

“They won’t find you.” Rumple sneered, his fingers digging into the Lieutenant’s arms as he held him tightly, “Where do you want him, darling?”

“On the bed,” Milah decided. “That’ll be the most comfortable place to feed from him.”

“Please, don’t do this!” Killian pleaded as Rumple manhandled him into the bed and secured his wrists into shackles attached to the iron headboard.

“It seems scary now, but you’ll enjoy it,” Milah promised as she climbed onto the bed beside him, her pale hand stroking the side of his face.

“I doubt I’ll enjoy being murdered!” he hissed, frantically fighting against the shackles as the two vampires sat on either side of him on the bed.

“You will.” she assured, “That’s the biggest misconception about our kind, that it hurts when you’re bitten and drained. It’s actually rather thrilling.”

Rumple pushed down the sleeve of the Lieutenant’s dress uniform, nosing against his wrist and inhaling the scent.

“Please.” Killian begged fearfully as Milah unbuttoned his uniform, pushing the clothing aside so she could run her hand over his torso.

“Shh...” she soothed, “Don’t be frightened, close your eyes and just feel.”

“No, no!” he cried out, his body tensing with momentary pain as Rumple bit into his wrist and Milah bit into his neck. The pain of the bites was soon replaced with the most enjoyable sensation he’d ever felt in his life; he felt as though he were flying, soaring above the clouds as his heart pounded faster and faster. He knew that they were moving around him, placing more bites on his body as they drained him, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was content for them to continue with no resistance from him as he drifted between life and death.

 

\---

 

“He was delicious, I knew he would be.” Milah murmured, lying back on the bed and gazing up at the ceiling as her body digested the blood she’d gorged herself on, “Well worth the wait.”

“It’s a shame it’s all gone.” Rumple mused, “If only we could keep humans in our own little blood factory.”

“Could you imagine how wonderful that would be?” she chuckled, turning on her side and looking over to him, “A neverending pure supply.”

“Perhaps one day,” he agreed, turning to face her, “Do you want the last drops?”

“It seems such a waste to destroy such beauty,” she sighed, looking down at the dying human between them; his pulse was slow, his breathing shallow as he clung onto the edge of life. She reached up and freed his wrists from the shackles, bringing his arms down to rest at his sides.

“All beauty dies in the end,” Rumple replied, leaning in to bite into the human’s neck.

“Wait! We could turn him,” she suggested with a smile.

“What?” he said, looking up at her.

“Please Rumple, turn him for me,” she replied with a pout. “Don’t you think he’d make a stunning vampire? He could be the son that we never had.”

“Looking after a newborn vampire isn’t easy,” he said. “The first few years are exhausting. You have to protect them from the dangers of the world and protect the world from them, all while trying to keep yourself fed and hidden.”

“You turned me and managed alone. We could do it together, couldn’t we?” she pleaded, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a family? To have others like us that we could hunt with, spend time with? It gets so awfully lonely sometimes, having to hide ourselves away.”

“He’s no child, we couldn’t force him to stay with us,” he warned her. “Once he’s got his bloodlust under control and learnt how to survive, he might want to go off on his own.”

“I know that,” she said, “But let’s give him that chance. There’s nothing ahead for him now but death anyway.”

Rumple studied her for a moment, considering refusing to turn the human, but she was right, centuries of immortality was a lonely existence. He bit his own wrist and let some of his blood trickle into the human’s mouth, watching and waiting for the reaction that he knew was coming. Just a second or two later, Killian’s eyes opened and he reached up to hold onto Rumple’s arm, pulling the wrist closer and eagerly drinking down the vampire’s blood.

“Enough,” he hissed, wrenching his arm out of the human’s grip when he felt himself become dizzy.

“What’s happening to me?” Killian groaned, his lips wet with blood and his stomach churning.

“You’re changing.” Milah explained, “The blood you just drank is going to change your body into something stronger. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“You were going to kill me...” he murmured in confusion, trying and failing to sit up.

“We’re saving your life,” she tried to reassure him. “You’re going to feel dizzy and tired. You need to let sleep take you so your human body can die.”

“I don’t want to die,” he protested, but the vampire blood was already flowing through his body and beginning to change things.

“The change can’t be stopped,” she sighed, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze as he began to lose his battle with exhaustion. “Sleep, Killian. We’ll explain everything when you wake.”

“We need to move on to one of our other locations,” Rumple said, getting to his feet once Killian had gone to sleep to complete his change. “I’ll get the horse and cart ready.”

“I’ll pack bags for us both,” Milah agreed, getting to her feet and quickly packing any personal possessions that they preferred to keep with them. After centuries of life, each of their homes contained books, clothes and possessions, but some items were too precious to leave behind.

Once the cart was loaded with their bags, they carried Killian out of the house and lay him down in the back, tying his arms and legs down with ropes to prevent him from moving around during the journey.

"What if he wakes while we’re travelling?" she asked, packing bags of rice and flour around him to make him as comfortable as possible.

"He won't," Rumple replied, checking everything was secure before he tied the cover down over the cart to protect their belongings from rain and to hide the body of the human changing into a vampire, “But even if he does, you know what it's like to be newly changed. He'll be weak as a kitten until he has his first meal."

 

\---

 

Waking in his new form for the first time was something that Killian knew he’d never forget. His entire body felt weak, lethargic, and he was so  _ thirsty, _ but his senses were enhanced to unbelievable levels. Before even opening his eyes, he’d mapped the room around him using his hearing and sense of smell alone.

“Killian?” Milah’s voice called and floorboards creaked as she approached where he was lying, “I know you’ve woken from your change, why don’t you open your eyes?”

He inhaled, taking in both her scent and Rumple’s before he blinked his eyes open. He was immediately entranced by the minute details he could see on the ceiling above him, tiny things that no human would ever be able to see without strong magnification.

“I’m going to miss those lovely blue eyes you had,” Milah said, and he tore his gaze from the ceiling to look up at her.

“Where am I?” he murmured, pushing himself upright and as far away from her as he could get on the bed.

“What do you remember?” she asked cautiously.

His scarlet eyes widened as the memories came back to him in a rush, “You drank my blood, you wanted to kill me!” he gasped, “What the hell have you done to me?”

“You were dying and we decided to save you, to give you another chance at life,” she replied with a smile. “You’re one of us now.”

“What are you? What am I?” he asked, his panicked eyes flicking between the two of them.

“You’re a vampire, dearie,” Rumple replied with a smirk that revealed the tips of his fangs. “Welcome to an eternity of hiding in shadows and surviving on the blood of the living.”

“Rumple!” Milah snapped, rolling her eyes at her husband, “It’s not quite as grim as he makes it sound.”

“I won’t be a monster like you, I won’t!” Killian yelled, throwing himself from the bed and forcing his sore muscles to move. “I have to get out of here, to get back to my brother, he’ll know what to do...”

“Your brother is a human, if you go anywhere near him before you’ve learnt how to control yourself then you’ll rip his throat out in your frenzy for his blood.” Rumple sneered.

“I would never hurt Liam!” Killian roared, reaching up to massage his burning throat. With every moment that he remained standing, he felt weaker and weaker, until he began to sway on his feet. “There is a cure for this… I’ll find it...”

“Of course you will.” Rumple chuckled sarcastically, walking over to him and taking hold of his arm, “Now, let’s take you on your first hunt.”

“No, I’m not hunting anyone!” Killian hissed, trying and failing to push Rumple away from him.

“Killian...” Milah said gently, “You have to feed to survive.”

“I don’t want to be this, I would have preferred death!” Killian argued in frustration, “Just leave me the hell alone!”

“Fine, curl up and die if that’s what you want,” Rumple snapped, letting him go and leaving the room.

“Killian, we’re trying to help you,” Milah pleaded softly.

“Go,” Killian insisted, turning away from her and holding onto the wall to keep himself upright.

“We’ll be back in a couple of hours. Don’t go outside,” she replied before she left him alone in the room.

He waited until he couldn’t sense them both anymore before he slid down the wall and curled up on the floor, closing his eyes and trying to ignore his thirst.

 

\---

 

“You need to go and talk to him,” Rumple said as they stood at the window inside their new cottage, watching Killian sit still on the bank of the stream at the bottom of the garden. He’d gone outside two days previously after they’d returned from hunting and aside from returning inside during the day, he hadn’t moved since, his eyes fixed firmly on the water of the stream. “This is getting ridiculous.”

“Why do I have to deal with him?” Milah pouted with a frown.

“You asked me to change him and I warned you it would be a lot of work,” he reminded her.

“I didn’t realise he’d be so sad and boring,” she said. “He put up such a lovely fight before we fed from him, I thought he’d have more spirit. He’s got such a lot of potential to be a stunning vampire.”

“Go and tell him that,” he told her, giving her a small push in the direction of the door.

“What happens if he continues to refuse to hunt?” she asked curiously, “I’ve never seen a vampire behave in this way.”

“Older vampires become living statues before eventually just becoming dust, but newborns are driven mad by their thirst. The first feed is the final step of the change, if he continues to refuse then his survival instincts will take over and he’ll attack anything and everything he can feed from,” he explained, “Including us.”

“I’ll talk to him,” she agreed, pulling open the door and stepping outside into the garden. She could have appeared next to him in the blink of an eye, but she chose to slowly walk towards him, giving him time to gather himself.

"You have to feed, Killian," she said gently as she sat beside him at the edge of the stream. "If you don't then you'll be driven mad by your thirst until you do."

“I won’t take blood from a human,” he murmured, his head lowering and resting on the tops of his knees as his tired eyes closed. “Why would I ever want to do to someone what you did to me?”

“It doesn’t have to be like that,” she pointed out, “Rumple and I enjoy luring humans away and draining them, but many humans are willing to let you feed on them. You don’t have to kill them or turn them. It can be like a trade, if you want it to be.”

“A trade? What would I give them?” he asked, one eye opening to look at her.

“Sex, usually,” she admitted. “You’ll find that prostitutes are very open minded.”

“They’re still people,” he muttered, closing his eyes once more. “The sex trade is bad form. I don’t want to be involved in that as well as taking blood like a parasite.”

“You’re not human anymore, you need to stop thinking like them. You’re above them and their politics,” she advised him.

“You’re not helping to persuade me,” he replied. “I intend to sit here and wait for death, no matter how long that takes.”

“Will you at least change into some clean clothes?” she asked, running her hand over the bloodstained jacket of his once pristine uniform.

“Don’t touch me,” he hissed, recoiling away from her, “This is all I have left.”

“You have us now. We’re your family,” she said, getting to her feet. She reached down and gently squeezed his shoulder before she returned to the cottage and left him to his solitude.

“Well?” Rumple asked, looking up from the ancient book he’d been reading.

“He won’t feed,” she sighed, sitting down in an armchair opposite him. “He’s clearly suffering, but the more we try to coerce him, the more melancholy he becomes.”

"Then we force him to," he replied simply. "He's a liability, and he'd have already learnt control around humans by now if he'd just taken his first bite."

 

\---

 

Killian was pulled from his dazed, half-awake state by a woman’s screams. He’d lost track of the time he’d spent outside at the bottom of the garden, reliving the good memories of time spent in the navy with his brother in a desperate attempt to ignore the ravenous thirst that burned through him. He inhaled and instantly regretted it, the human’s scent making his dry mouth water as he imagined sinking his fangs into her warm flesh. After days of stillness and limited movement, he’d half expected not to be able to walk, but he got to his feet and began making his way up to the cottage with no real conscious thought. His brain went offline as instinct took over, pulling him towards the pulsing heartbeat as though he were a puppet on a string.

“We have something for you,” Milah said with a smile, guiding him into the cottage and closing the door behind him.

The human’s scent was almost overwhelming in the living room, and Killian had to battle to get his thirst under control so he didn’t simply attack her. His humanity returned to him almost as quickly as it had left as his red pupils met her terrified blue eyes. He was starving, but his iron will was stronger.

“Why is she here?” he hissed, backing away and coming to rest against the wall behind him. He kept his eyes on the girl, terrified that if he looked away from her for even a moment then she’d simply become prey again.

“She’s a gift for you. I chose her myself to make sure you had a tasty first meal,” Rumple replied with a dark smile. “Just one bite and you’ll feel so much better. Don’t you want to feel better, dearie?”

“I don’t want to do this,” Killian said pleadingly, looking to Milah for help.

“You have to,” she insisted, coming over to him and taking hold of his arm. She gently led him across the room until he was just a few feet away from where Rumple was restraining the girl. “It really is just one bite, and then it’ll be as easy as breathing from now on.”

“Please don’t make me!” he begged as Rumple shoved the girl into his arms. He caught her with ease before she fell, holding her securely against his chest. Her scent surrounded him and he closed his eyes, breathing it in and licking his lips. He wanted to let go of her, to step away and go back out into the garden, but he couldn’t.

“One bite,” Rumple urged him, pushing the girl’s head to the side to reveal the expanse of her pale, unblemished neck.

Killian’s eyes opened and he stared transfixed at her pulsepoint for a long few seconds before he leaned in almost lovingly and took his first bite of human flesh. As soon as his fangs sunk into her neck and blood hit his tongue, he knew he’d never be able to starve himself again. The blood warmed him and brought life to his cold vampire body with every mouthful; it was unlike anything he’d ever eaten or drunk in his human life as it left him feeling both full and high.

He drained the last drops of blood from her body before he let go of her, not making any move to slow her body as it fell and hit the floor with a thud. His tongue ran along his teeth and lips, cleaning away the wet blood that stained them. He reached up and wiped his sleeve across his face, removing any smeared blood he’d missed.

“Well?” Rumple smirked, looking at him with something akin to pride in his eyes, “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Another,” Killian demanded eagerly, already thirsty for more as the delicious blood cured him of the pain he’d been suffering with for days since his transformation.

 

\---

 

Years passed and the three vampires became a reluctant family. They moved from town to town before finally settling in a cottage on a cliff top overlooking a port. They only went out at night and were careful to hide their supernatural appearance from the townsfolk.

"So this is how you choose to spend your immortality? Watching the docks for a glimpse of your brother?" a sneering voice said behind him, and Killian glanced over his shoulder to find his maker hiding in the shadows.

"What do you want, Rumple?" he asked with a frown, turning back towards the edge of the cliff to watch the ships in the harbour.

“We’re going out hunting. Are you going to join us?” Rumple asked with a smirk. “I’m sure there will be lots of lads and lasses that meet your high standards in the taverns tonight.”

“Go ahead,” Killian replied without looking back, “His ship is due in port tonight. I don’t want to miss its arrival.”

“You need to move on, dearie. You’re dead and he’s alive, you can’t go anywhere near him. Can you imagine his face if he saw those fangs of yours?” Rumple taunted.

“You’re just jealous because I still have a living relative,” Killian snapped. “I have no intention of going anywhere near Liam. I’m content to watch him live his life from afar.”

“I don’t need living relatives. When you’re my age, you’ll understand how fleeting human life is,” Rumple replied. “Try not to brood too much while we’re gone, son.”

“I am not your son!” Killian hissed, turning to face him, “I’ve told you not to call me that!”

“Whether you like it or not, I’m your maker. I created you from my blood. That makes you my child.” Rumple sneered, poking him in the chest, “Stay away from the human. I don’t want to clean up another one of your messes.”

“Leave him be, Rumple,” Milah called as she joined them outside. “I think it’s sweet that he wants to watch over the human. Wouldn’t you want someone to protect you if you were human?”

“I don’t need the stress of moving to another town because Killian can’t control himself,” Rumple replied, glaring at the other vampire before he turned away and began making his way down the hill.

“Don’t let him get to you,” Milah said, putting her arm around Killian’s shoulders and gently kissing his cheek. “Will you be alright on your own? You can come along, you know.”

“Aye, I’m fine. I’ll feed tomorrow,” he assured her with a smile, resuming his watch over the harbour almost immediately as she’d let him go.

 

\---

 

Killian knew he’d gotten too close to his brother when he heard footsteps hurrying after him down the dark alleyway. He’d been watching from the shadows as Liam drank at the tavern with his men and he thought he’d gotten away without being noticed, but clearly he’d underestimated his brother’s awareness of his surroundings.

“Wait, stop! Please!” Liam’s voice called and Killian came to a halt, unable to resist being so close to his beloved brother after so long of being forced to stay away. His mouth watered and his tongue automatically ran over his fangs as he breathed in the scent of his brother’s blood.

“Killian, is it really you?” Liam asked, his footsteps slow and uncertain as he approached.

“Aye, it’s me,” Killian replied but kept his back turned to his brother, too weak to face the disgust he knew he’d see in Liam’s face.

“What happened to you, brother?” Liam asked, still keeping some distance between them as he too came to a halt. “We searched for days but there was no sign of you.”

“I had to leave in a hurry.” Killian replied, “I’m sorry I left you without a goodbye.”

“I know you, Killian, you wouldn’t just leave. You were looking forward to taking your Captain exam!” Liam said in confusion, reaching out and resting his hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. “Won’t you turn to face me? It’s been years. I’ve missed you.”

Killian gathered his courage and slowly turned to face his brother, watching his eyes widen at the changes that had happened to him since they’d last met.

“What are you?” Liam asked in shock, taking in the red pupils and pale white skin.

“I’m a vampire, a monster,” Killian muttered, his tone revealing his hatred of himself. “I hide in the shadows and drink blood from the living.” 

“Oh Killian, how did this happen?” Liam asked, saddened by his brother’s obvious despair.

“A woman.” Killian admitted, “She lured me into the woods where she and her husband feasted on my blood. Unluckily for me, they saved me from death and made me into this.”

“Why didn’t you come to me sooner? We must have docked here at least twice a month for the past few years!” Liam exclaimed.

“Aye, I know. I’ve watched you each and every time like some sort of demon protector.” Killian chuckled humorlessly, “It’s good to speak with you, Liam. I thought you’d run from me, truly I did.”

“You’re my brother, I could never turn you away,” Liam said, squeezing his shoulder.

“You should return to your men, they’re coming to look for you.” Killian murmured, listening to the sounds of the men from a few streets away.

“You can hear them?” Liam asked in amazement.

“It’s one of my  _ gifts _ ,” Killian replied with a small smile. “You should go.”

“Will you meet me here tomorrow night? At sunset?” Liam asked hopefully.

“Aye, I’ll meet you here,” Killian promised. “Thank you for accepting me, brother.”

“I’ll always accept you, Killian,” Liam replied, squeezing his shoulder once more before he turned away and made his way out of the alleyway.

 

\---

 

Killian smelt the blood from a few streets away, but it was only as he got closer to the alleyway that he recognised the scent. He ran the rest of the way to the meeting place, not caring if the humans around him saw how fast he moved.

His worst fears were confirmed as he turned the corner and saw his brother lying in a pool of his own blood against one of the walls of the alleyway, his coat open and his pockets emptied. He’d clearly been the victim of a mugging gone wrong if the knife in his gut was anything to go by.

“Liam!” he cried out, falling to his knees beside his brother and trying to get a response from him. His thirst flared up and his instincts urged him to feed but he fought them, desperate to save the only family he had left.

“Liam, please, open your eyes,” he pleaded desperately, pressing his hand over the wound to try to stop the flow of blood, “Liam!”

“Killian...” his brother breathed with his dying breath, his eyelids flickering for a moment before his heart fell still and silent.

“No! No, you can’t leave me!” Killian begged, “Please brother, I’ve only just got you back, don’t leave me!”

For hours, Killian sat in the pool of blood, holding his dead brother in his arms. He thought back to all the times he’d longed to approach his brother since his change and he wished that he’d taken the risk and been able to have more time with Liam.

When he could finally bring himself to move, he knew that he needed to return his brother to his ship for an honorable burial at sea; Liam would have wanted to sleep amongst the waves instead of being trapped in the ground. He lifted his brother into his arms and carried him through the silent streets, making his way down to the docks and up onto the ship. He ignored the man on watch that tried to speak to him, gently placing Liam down on the deck and taking a moment to say a prayer for him before he turned and disappeared into the night.

When he arrived at the clifftop cottage he shared with Rumple and Milah, he felt as though he’d been lost in a terrible nightmare. His clothes and hands were stained red with his brother’s blood and he hadn’t been able to bring himself to remove the last traces of Liam’s life on his walk back to the cottage.

“What happened to you?” Milah asked with wide eyes, getting up from her chair when she saw and smelt the amount of blood he was covered in, “Is there a body we need to clean up?”

“Liam is dead. The humans killed him.” Killian murmured, unable to say anything further as he trudged to his room and shut the door. He stood in complete silence, not knowing how to feel as he tried to fathom the loss.

 

\---

 

Liam’s death left him more griefstricken than his own transformation had. He’d vowed to spend his immortality watching over his brother and his descendants, but now he was left with nothing. After days of mourning in his room, cursing his existence and remembering every moment he’d spent with Liam, he was only left with two things—revenge and bloodlust. 

He emerged from his room and ignored Milah and Rumple’s attempts to catch his attention; nothing could sway him from his desire to find his brother’s murderer.

“Killian, be careful, please.” Milah’s voice broke through the fog in his mind as she stood in front of him, her red eyes gazing into his.

“I have to do this,” he replied, his voice hoarse from thirst. “They need to suffer like he did.”

“Do what you need to do,” she said gently, “But don’t put yourself or us in any danger.”

Killian pulled himself free from her grip and took off towards the town, barely bothering to hide himself in the shadows as he stalked around, searching for his brother’s killer. His rage only increased the longer it took to find the man and he was trembling with hate when he finally picked up the scent he was looking for. He practically flew through the streets as he ran, tracking the scent with ease. He watched the man from the shadows, clearly going through that night’s pickings.

“Do you enjoy preying on the weak?” he called out, his lips pulling into a dark smile as he watched the man jump and look around in panic. “Do you enjoy stealing what others have worked hard for?”

“Show yourself! I’m armed!” the human shouted, raising a knife.

“You really think that a knife can do anything to stop me?” Killian smirked, stepping out of the shadows and moving towards him.

“Who are you?” the human demanded, keeping the knife raised but taking a couple of steps back.

“That’s not the question you should be asking.” Killian chuckled, stalking towards him and licking his lips, “You should be asking what am I.”

“I think you’ve had too much to drink, mate,” the man said as his back hit the brick wall behind him while Killian continued to approach.

“Actually,  _ mate _ , I haven’t even started drinking yet,” the vampire replied before he pounced on his prey, using one hand to hold him by the neck a few inches from the ground.

“Demon!” the human cried out, already struggling to breathe due to the tight hold on his neck.

“Wrong. Vampire.” Killian hissed, “You killed my brother, and now I’m going to kill you.”

He let the man regain his footing on the ground, taking the knife from his hand and debating what to do with it. He’d never been a sadist, despite his vampire nature he’d never enjoyed killing, but after what had been done to Liam, this man needed to pay.

“Get on with it! Bite me!” the terrified man cried, his eyes darting around to find the nearest escape route.

“Bite you?” Killian scoffed, “After what you did, I don’t want a single drop of your blood inside me. You left my brother to bleed out in the street, I think it’s only fitting that you meet the same fate.”

“I’m not scared of you,” the man sneered.

“Good. You should fear the fiery pits of hell that I’m more than happy to send you to.” Killian smirked, using his vampire speed to stab the man multiple times across his torso with his own knife. He let him slide down the wall, tossing the knife to the ground beside him before he walked away, determined to leave him to die alone in the dark and cold alleyway.

“If I’m going to hell then I’ll see you there.” The man laughed, blood bubbling out of his lips and rolling down his chin as he bled out onto the ground around him.

Killian hid himself in the shadows, watching the man die a painful death before he vanished into the night once the heartbeat had finally fallen silent. He was still thirsty, but he was too riled up to feed without killing one or more humans so he simply returned to the cottage to calm down and think things over.

“Is it done?” Milah asked when he stepped into the house, her eyes roaming over his pristine appearance as she could no doubt smell the lingering human blood from his time in the alley.

“Aye,” he replied simply, nodding to both her and Rumple before he retreated to his room.

 

\---

 

The following night, after much internal debate and his growing thirst, Killian emerged from his room with a new outlook on his eternal life. With Liam dead, he had no connection to the human world, so he saw no reason why he shouldn’t indulge his vampiric nature and satisfy his thirst as freely as he liked, whether that included killing or not.

“You seem upbeat,” Rumple remarked, putting his book down on a side table. “Finally found that elusive cure, have you?”

“I have no need for a cure now,” Killian replied as he pulled on the black leather duster that gave him the look of a pirate. “I’ve finally understood what you’ve been trying to teach me all these years, that humans are nothing more than blood bags for us to feast on.”

“Don’t do anything that will draw attention to us,” Rumple warned, already concerned at the fire in the young vampire’s eyes.

“Don’t wait up,  _ Father _ ,” Killian sneered, making his way out of the cottage and closing the door with a slam.

“Are you going hunting?” Milah asked, looking over to him from where she’d been sat on the grass stargazing.

“Aye, I’ve got a busy night planned,” he replied with a dark grin. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“Are you feeling alright? I’ll go and bring you someone to feed from if you need more time to mourn your brother,” she offered gently.

“Liam is dead and so is the human that was clinging on inside of me.” Killian smirked, “It’s time I embraced what I am and actually enjoyed myself for once.”

“I’d never tell you not to enjoy yourself, you know that, but please be careful,” she pleaded. “We haven’t been settled here that long and we can probably stay for another few years before we’re noticed and need to move on. Don’t do anything rash.”

“Rash? I’ll not listen to your lectures about rash actions!” he laughed humorlessly. “You wanted me to be turned into this thing, so now watch me unleash the monster.”

“Killian!” her voice called after him as he took off towards the town, but neither of the other two vampires followed him. He didn’t stop to consider his actions, he simply threw himself into the nightlife of the town and focused on feeding on as many people as he possibly could. He lost count of the dead bodies of sailors he left in dark alleyways and of the dead prostitutes he left in tavern lodging rooms, focusing only on stuffing himself with delicious blood.

When Milah and Rumple found him just before sunrise, he was lying on the beach with the sea lapping at his toes, surrounded by dead bodies drained of blood. His clothes were bloodstained and dried blood was smeared all over his face, neck, and hands.

“I wondered when you two would show up!” he said with a laugh that sounded more like a giggle. He was clearly still flying on a high after drinking so much blood over just a few hours.

“What the hell have you done?” Rumple roared, looking around at all of the bodies, “How many have you killed?”

Killian shrugged casually, “Well, there’s these and then there’s the ones in the town. I lost count.”

“Killian, get up! You can’t stay here!” Milah urged, taking hold of the front of his jacket and pulling him upright. “We’re going to have to move towns again. They won’t forget such bloodshed in a hurry.”

“You fool!” Rumple hissed, striking the young vampire across the face with the back of his hand, “You’ve put us all in danger with your recklessness!”

“You’re so keen to insist on calling me your son all the time, so you clean it up,  _ Daddy _ ,” Killian taunted, rubbing his cheek to remove the sting from Rumple’s hit.

“Take him home. Now,” Rumple snapped at Milah, already planning how to salvage the situation. “I’ll deal with this.”

“Come on, Killian.” Milah said, keeping hold of the other vampire and pulling him along.

 

\---

 

When they returned to the cottage, Killian lay down on the sofa in the living room and immediately let sleep take him. Vampires naturally became tired and had to sleep during daylight hours, but he’d truly exhausted himself with his actions that evening. He didn’t even hear Rumple return or the conversation that went on between the two other vampires, already lost to unconsciousness as his body tried to digest the huge amount of blood he’d drunk.

“We’re going to have to leave.” Milah sighed when Rumple returned, the two of them simply standing together and looking over the sleeping vampire.

“He’s not coming,” Rumple decided.

“What? We can’t just leave him,” she argued. “You saw what he did tonight, if we leave him on his own then what’s to stop him from doing something like that again? It puts us all in danger.”

“Our job was to teach him how to survive on his own. We’ve done that, and he’s thrown it all back in our faces,” he replied. “It’s time we moved on.”

“But he’ll be alone,” she said quietly.

“Through his own doing,” he insisted, “If he wants to go on masacres then that’s up to him, but I won’t have us tainted by him any longer. We’re leaving before he wakes.”

“He made a mistake, he’s still grieving his brother,” she tried to protest.

“Our secret could have been revealed tonight. I won’t stand for his wild emotional outbursts any longer,” he replied. “We’ve all lost people in our lives, but we had enough sense to contain our emotions for our own survival.” 

“Who knows what they’ll do to him if they put the pieces together and realise what he is?” she said with concern, “We can’t just leave him to that fate.”

“When we wake, I’ll venture into town and see what people are saying. We’ll make our decision then, but either way, he’s not coming with us to our next home,” he decided, taking one more look over Killian’s sleeping form before he walked away into his and Milah’s bedroom.

“Oh Killian, what have you done?” Milah murmured, gently running her fingers through Killian’s hair as he slept before she joined her husband in their room to sleep the day away.

When she woke at sunset, Rumple was already dressed and was sat at the bottom of the bed reading a newspaper.

“You’ve already been into town?” she asked, sitting up and stretching.

“They’ve given him a nickname,” he sneered, “The Boston Bloodletter.”

“Do they know it was a vampire that did it?” she asked in concern, reaching out and taking the paper from him.

“No, I mutilated the bodies to ensure the bitemarks were hidden,” he replied. “They think it was a serial killer who drained them of blood for use in experiments.”

“Goodness, that’s how many he killed?” She said as she looked over the article. “When he comes to his senses, he’ll be devastated.”

“We won’t be sticking around that long,” he decided, “The townsfolk don’t suspect him and aren’t going to target him, so we can pack up our things and leave him.”

“You really think that leaving him on his own is the answer?” she asked, climbing out of bed and pulling her clothes on.

“He put all of us at risk last night. I won’t take the chance that he’ll do something like that again. He did this, he now has to face the consequences and look out for himself,” he replied, beginning to pack their clothes into bags.

Milah made her way out into the living room and packed up their precious belongings into bags, moving around quietly to avoid waking the still slumbering vampire. They loaded their things up into the cart and did one final sweep of the house to ensure they hadn’t forgotten anything.

“Be safe,” Milah whispered, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on Killian’s forehead. She left the newspaper on the table, so he’d see it when he woke, and a pile of gold coins too. After taking a deep breath, she turned away and left the cottage, closing the door behind her.

When Killian awoke a couple of hours later, he was alone.


	2. The Present

Killian Jones was lonely. Centuries of living a nocturnal life with no one to talk to or share experiences with had left him a shadow of his former self. His heart had once burned with rage over his brother’s death, he’d massacred almost a hundred humans in one night and then he’d been abandoned by the very people that had made him into a monster. He’d never encountered Rumple and Milah again, not even once over the centuries that had passed, and he sometimes wondered whether they were still luring humans to their deaths or whether they’d been killed somehow.

Since that night, when he’d lost control of himself and forgotten his humanity, he’d tried to atone for his sins. He’d woken to find the newspaper and the nickname staring back at him, leaving him feeling as though he’d been branded by his own villainy. Never again did he want to terrorize and kill, he’d done enough of that in one night to last him a lifetime.

He’d moved from town to town in the early days, setting up a number of residences he could return to later down the line before he began to look for ways to fit into the human world without being discovered. He missed his days as a Lieutenant, doing honest work and contributing to society, and he often found himself straying down to the docks during long nights to soothe his tortured soul with the calming sound of the sea.

His first step into the human world, when he felt he was ready and had enough control over his thirst, was to take on the roll of night harbormaster. It required all of the leadership and organizational skills he’d learned in the Navy and allowed him to get as close as possible to the life of a sailor. He wished there was a way he could achieve his dream of captaining a ship, but until he found a way to store large quantities of blood for voyages that could last weeks and hide his state from a crew, he knew that wasn’t a possibility for him any longer.

Time and time again, the world changed and Killian Jones stood still.

He moved to a new town every ten years, when it began to become obvious that he wasn’t aging like those around him and he tried his hand at a multitude of night roles. As jobs began to require proper education and qualifications, he took time to study a whole range of subjects, keen to educate himself as thoroughly as he could.

With each century that passed, Killian worked harder and harder to stay under the radar. He mourned his world, the one he remembered so clearly that was now gone forever, whilst also trying to keep up with the latest technological advancements so he wouldn’t obviously look or behave out of place.

He’d made the decision long before to only feed from the dead or dying, which had meant near-starvation at times, but with the arrival of the 20th century came the possibility of a new career - pathology. He reinvented himself every decade but he stuck with his career of choice as it was the most convenient for him, offering blood of the dead on tap and night shifts that suited him. In some towns he was merely an assistant, in others he was given higher-ranking positions, but all allowed him to live a semblance of a human life, if only for a short while before he had to move on once again.

The older he got, the more melancholy he became. The endless turning of the Earth was exhausting and Killian wondered at times just how long he’d live before he’d meet his end. He’d never discussed how vampires could be killed with Rumple or Milah, but he hoped that one day when he was ready, there would be a way to sink into the peaceful oblivion of death.

 

\---

 

“He’s a little strange.” Deputy Graham’s voice in the corridor outside pulled Killian from the paperwork he’d been focused on at his desk.

“Anyone who works in a morgue with dead people must be a little strange.” a female voice that Killian didn’t recognize replied to the Deputy.

“You’re not wrong.” Graham agreed with a slight chuckle, “But I mean it, Emma, he’s strange. He only does night shifts, never socializes and I’ve never seen him around the town. He’s perfectly professional, but I’d be a little wary of him if I were you.”

“Who only does night shifts?” the woman replied with something akin to amazement in her tone.

Killian had just a few moments to busy himself with his paperwork again before the two humans entered the lab where he was working.

“Killian, I’ve got someone for you to meet.” Graham said and he looked up and over to where the Deputy stood in the doorway with a blonde beside him.

“This is the moment when you’d usually introduce yourself,” Graham prompted and Killian realised he’d been still and staring for too long. His ability to pretend to be a human was usually extremely good, but there were moments when he slipped and this was clearly one of those times.

“Apologies, I was lost in my thoughts.” Killian replied smoothly and got to his feet, making his way over to the two humans and offering his hand to the blonde, “Killian Jones.”

“Emma Swan. I’m the new Sheriff.” she said, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.

He let go of her hand and inhaled to catalogue her scent. He was grateful for the face mask and dark glasses that he wore when his red eyes widened and his tongue traced his fangs instinctively. The scent of her blood was mouthwatering and for the first time in many years he found himself struggling against his instincts that screamed at him to drain her.

“Right then, let’s be off. I just wanted to introduce you both,” Graham said, looking between them with a curious frown, “Now Emma has been elected Sheriff, you’ll be working with her on cases.”

Killian nodded in acknowledgement, still studying the blond, “David Nolan,” he said, finally placing her scent and appearance.

“You know my Dad?” Emma asked in surprise.

“I don’t personally, I just see him around sometimes,” Killian replied quickly, remembering the young man who’d worked a summer job in the morgue filing room some 40 years before, “I can see the family resemblance in your face.”

“I didn’t realise we looked so alike,” Emma admitted.

“It’s my job to notice details that others miss,” Killian murmured as an explanation, glancing away from her for a moment.

“Why do you wear the glasses?” she asked, her curious gaze on the dark glasses that hid his red pupils from view.

“I’m sensitive to light,” he replied smoothly, “Hence why I only work at night.”

She nodded but her expression was firm and still suspicious, as though she’d known he was lying.

“Shall we make a move, Emma?” Graham suggested, clearly not wanting to linger longer than necessary in the lab.

“Yes, let’s go,” Emma agreed, taking a few steps back to join Graham in the doorway, “It was nice to meet you, Killian.”

“And you too, Emma,” Killian replied, giving her a slight nod before he turned away and returned back to his desk. He pretended to continue working on his paperwork until the door had shut behind them and then he promptly bolted towards the fridge for one of the blood bags he kept in there for emergencies.

 

\---

 

“Evening Sheriff Swan,” Killian greeted without looking up from his clipboard as Emma entered the morgue.

“Hey Killian,” she greeted in response, standing on the opposite side of the bench with the body between them, “I was hoping there wouldn’t be a death so soon into my tenure. What can you tell me about it? Was it natural?”

“Certainly not,” he replied, putting the clipboard aside, “This man was drained of blood.”

When the body had arrived and he’d first examined it, he’d felt a moment of fear when he realised the cause of death and saw the two bite marks on the neck, but he’d quickly established that they were fake and the blood had been drained via transfusion instead. After his makers had left him behind, he’d never encountered another vampire and he dreaded one arriving in Storybrooke and disrupting the life he’d created there.

“Wow, drained of blood?” she said in surprise, looking over the body in interest, “You don’t think it’s the Boston Bloodletter, do you?”

“What?” he asked in both surprise and horror, wondering how she could have connected him with his nickname and what he’d have to do to her to protect himself.

“You know, the serial killer from centuries ago? You must have heard of him?” she chuckled, “I’m sorry, that was a bad joke.”

“It was a good joke,” he assured her as he forced himself to calm down, studying her for any sign that she might know of his secret, “I just didn’t expect you to have heard of the Bloodletter.”

She shrugged a little, “I went to school in Boston and I wrote an essay on him for an exam. It was fascinating going through the old newspaper records and trying to put together evidence and arguments that didn’t make the whole thing sound like it was written by Jonathan Harker.”

“Who, lass?” he asked in confusion.

“You know, from Dracula?” she said, giving him a frown, “Surely you’ve read Dracula?”

“I haven’t,” he admitted, picking his clipboard back up again.

“How have you not read Dracula?” she exclaimed, “It’s a classic!”

“Never really had the time.” He shrugged, “Anyway, the body...”

“Right, yes, sorry,” she replied, silence falling between them for a few minutes, “Seriously though, how do you know about the Bloodletter but not Dracula?”

“I prefer true crime to fictional crime,” he said with a slight smile, “So, it seems your killer is a wannabe vampire. While there are bite marks on the neck, they were added after death. The blood was actually drained from his arm.”

“That sounds slow and painful,” she said in disgust.

“Aye, it would have been,” he agreed with a sigh, “There are bruises that suggest restraints.”

“What do you think the killer has done with the blood?” she asked.

“It all depends on what their motives are,” he said, taking a moment to consider the evidence on the body, “There aren’t any other injuries or signs of torture, so I don’t think we’re dealing with a sadist. This could be a first kill, but they must have had medical knowledge to be able to drain the blood completely without causing any other damage. I’d say that they either needed the blood for something or they’ve kept it as a souvenir.”

“Nice,” she muttered with a grimace, “Thanks Killian, I’d better get back to the station.”

“I hope you’re able to find the killer,” he said with a nod to her, recovering the body with a white sheet.

He watched her leave and decided that once he was done with his shift, he’d take a look around Storybrooke and see if he could pick up the victim’s scent. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d helped to lead police to killers and criminals and he hoped he could use his enhanced senses to find something of note in this case too.

 

\---

 

It was a couple of hours before sunrise when Killian left the hospital and followed the faint trace of the victim’s scent towards the old cannery. He knew dockside warehouses were often used for nefarious activities, but he was surprised that it could be the base for a wannabe vampire too. He made his way slowly around the warehouse, making sure to keep to the shadows and out of the view of any CCTV cameras. After centuries of living under the radar, combined with his heightened senses, he was well practiced in stealth and no human would be aware of his presence if he didn’t want them to be. The invention of digital cameras had added an additional complication to the life of an immortal attempting to remain hidden from the human world, but Killian had always enjoyed the challenge of avoiding the all-seeing camera lenses.

It wasn’t long before the coppery tang of blood in the air led Killian to exactly the place he was looking for, the hideout of the killer. He paused and inhaled a deep breath, waiting until he was sure that the human scents nearby were old before he ventured forth into the decrepit building. The machinery that had once occupied the building was long gone, sold and stripped for parts, leaving just a wide open space filled with rubble and junk.

Killian made his way carefully, following the scent of the blood to one of the corners shrouded in darkness. When he reached the corner that smelt strongly of blood, he found that a wall had been built to section the corner off from the rest of the warehouse. He reached out and ran his hand over the bricks, feeling how new they and the mortar were compared to the rest of the aging building. He followed the path of the wall and cautiously stepped into the space that was lit by a few battery-powered camping lanterns. 

It was immediately obvious that this strange hideout was the scene of the murder. There was a sturdy metal chair bolted down with restraints attached, intravenous medical equipment and droplets of dried blood on the floor. Killian followed his nose and found the container of blood, immediately recognizing the scent of the victim and ignoring the slight ache of thirst he felt in favour of preserving the crime scene.

The walls were lined with newspaper clippings about killings, pages from books with a supernatural theme and dark drawings scrawled in charcoal and chalk. If it weren’t for the place being so obviously tainted with blood and death, he’d think it was an artist’s studio. The killer was clearly a human obsessed with vampires and wanting to get as close as he could to his bloodstained idols. There were also shelves stuffed with ancient tomes but Killian only gave those a cursory glance before he made up his mind to find a phone box and call it in to the Sheriff’s station.

He’d once fancied himself as a caped crusader, similar to those featured in the brightly coloured comics often favoured by young humans, and he’d gone out of his way to find and deliver criminals directly to the law. As times had changed and remaining hidden had become his main priority, those grand notions had been long since left behind.

As he emerged from the warehouse into the dark night, he was careful to change his gait so if he was picked up by any cameras while he was making the anonymous tip, they wouldn’t be able to identify him as the informant. On the phone, he was polite but straight to the point with the call handler, putting on a flawless Irish accent to disguise himself even further.

With his good deed done for the night, he returned to his hiding place and settled down to sleep as the sun began to rise.

 

\---

 

Whilst the sun set and the town went to sleep, Killian was just blinking awake. His current home was a cottage hidden deep in the woods, providing him with shade, privacy and quiet during the day and a place to stretch his legs during the night. He had a car that he used to get to and from the hospital, but he kept it parked in a lot on the edge of town, never bringing it to his home in case the tire tracks were followed. He was vulnerable in the daytime and he missed the safety that a human had whilst they slept.

He pushed the covers back and climbed out of bed, stretching and carrying out the exercise regime he’d followed since his days in the Navy. He didn’t need the duvet and certainly didn’t need to exercise any longer, but he found it reassuring and calming to follow the routines of his human days. Centuries of living alone had taken its toll on his mind and he found that the only way for him to cope with immortality was familiar routines day after day.

He pulled on his scrubs and gave himself a once over in the mirror before he put on his dark glasses and made his way out of the cottage. He walked slowly through the trees, taking a path that allowed him to experience the feel of the cool moonlight on his skin. The lack of sunlight in his life had been something that had taken him years to become accustomed to.

When he arrived at the hospital, he nodded to a couple of colleagues before making his way straight to his lab. He inhaled and frowned a little when the scent of Emma Swan wafted towards him.

“Sheriff,” he greeted with a nod as he stepped into his lab and found Emma waiting for him, “Is there something I can do for you?”

“I just wanted to tell you the good news,” Emma said, moving away from the edge of his desk where she’d been leaning, “We solved the case.”

“That is good news,” he replied, busying himself with preparing his equipment, “Who was it in the end?”

“A loner with an unhealthy obsession with vampires. The victim bullied him at school when they were kids,” she explained, “You should have seen the crime scene, it was crazy.”

“How did you find the crime scene?” he asked, flicking through some paperwork.

“An anonymous tip, believe it or not.” She chuckled with a shake of her head, “No matter how good a killer is at hiding their tracks, there’s always one who’s willing to give them up.”

“Aye,” he agreed with a nod, “I’m pleased you were able to solve your first case.”

“I was thinking, and feel free to say no, but maybe we could go out for a drink to celebrate?” she suggested with a warm smile.

He froze as he took in her words, putting down the paperwork and looking up at her, “You want to go for a drink with me?” he asked in surprise.

“Yes, if you’d like to,” she said, “I understand if you don’t want to, it’s fine...”

“Aye, I’ll have a drink with you,” he found himself saying, unable to deny that he was attracted to both her and her scent.

“Great, when’s your next day off?” she asked, “We could have lunch.”

“Ah,” he murmured, trying to work out a way to let her down gently, “I can’t go out during the day, I have to stick to my nocturnal lifestyle for my shifts.”

“Okay, then we could go for coffee here during one of your breaks?” she suggested, “I get the impression that you could do with a friend around here and I could do with a friend too.”

“Aye, alright then,” he agreed with a nod, “Coffee.”

“Great, tomorrow night? Say 8pm?” she asked, making her way to the door.

“8pm,” he confirmed with a slight smile, “See you tomorrow, lass.”

He turned away and finished preparing his equipment as she left, considering what he’d agreed to. He’d spent centuries avoiding humans and he wondered what had pushed him so strongly to engage with her. He could have turned her down, as he’d done to countless women over the years, but he wanted to know her.

 

\---

 

Killian stepped into the hospital cafe for the first time in his life and he couldn’t help but feel a little out of his depth. He didn’t remember the taste of food or drink from his human days and he only had a basic knowledge of what the humans in this decade ate and drank.

“What do you want?” Emma asked as they stood looking at the menu above the counter.

“Coffee. Any type is fine,” he replied, barely able to make sense of most of the drinks on offer, since when had eating and drinking become so complex?

“Wow, you must really like coffee to like so many different types,” she said in surprise, leading the way to the counter to order.

“Aye, I like variety,” he agreed, handing over some notes to the cashier before Emma had a chance to pay.

“You didn’t have to pay, I invited you for coffee,” she said as they waited for their drinks.

“I’m a gentleman and a gentleman never lets a lady pay.” he replied with a smile, “Can I ask how you became the Sheriff? I don’t remember seeing you in Storybrooke before you got elected.”

“I left town when I was pretty young,” she explained, grabbing their coffees and handing one to him, “I changed my name and worked in bail bonds. The travelling was great, but I missed having somewhere with roots. Storybrooke seemed like the right place to return to, just big enough to offer a challenge but not too big to be overwhelming.”

“Aye, it’s a nice size,” he agreed, taking the coffee from her.

“How did you end up here? No offense, but this hardly seems like the place for someone who wants a high-flying career in their field.” she chuckled, sipping her coffee.

“You’re not wrong, I know most people up and leave the town when they can,” he replied, leading her to a table and pulling out a chair for her to sit. She gave him a strange look but did sit down, allowing him to tuck the chair in before he sat down opposite her.

“I have a similar tale,” he continued, smiling a little to himself, “I travelled a lot in my youth and Storybrooke seemed like the place I could have a quiet but meaningful career. I never wanted to be a high-flyer.”

“Never?” she queried.

“Once,” he admitted, looking down at the coffee cup between his hands, “But that was a long time ago.”

“What did you want to be?” she asked, leaning a little closer towards him across the table, “I wanted to be a Princess when I was a kid.”

“A good career choice,” he teased her softly, “I once wanted to be a Captain in the Navy.”

“Why didn’t you? That seems more achievable than being a Princess,” she said.

“My circumstances changed and I found that being a Pathologist both sated my thirst for knowledge and allowed me to help people. I’ve only ever wanted to be a good person and to help others and this seemed like the best way,” he replied.

“Before we met, Graham warned me about you,” she admitted, sitting back in her chair and sipping her coffee, “He said you were strange, but I think you’re more eccentric.”

“Do you like eccentrics?” he asked with an arched eyebrow.

“I like you,” she replied, “I noticed you don’t wear a wedding ring, do you have a wife or a girlfriend? I don’t mean to pry, I just want to get to know you.”

“No, I don’t have a wife or a girlfriend. How about you?” he asked.

“No, no wife or girlfriend.” she laughed, “Or a husband or a boyfriend. I’m single.”

“Without wishing to be too forward, perhaps there might be potential for us to...explore our options?” he suggested clumsily, trying to find the right words. He knew he shouldn’t let her get close to him, that he should up and leave town now she’d shown an interest in him, but he didn’t think he could walk away from her even if he tried. Emma Swan called to him in a way no other did and he wanted to explore their connection to see where it led.

 

\---

 

“What are you doing here? It’s been centuries.” Killian said, not looking up from his work as a man wearing a three-piece suit and holding a cane stood in the doorway. He didn’t need to turn around to know that his maker had found him.

“I heard that my beloved son had a pet human and I was concerned that your infatuation might go as well as the last did.” Rumple sneered as he entered the morgue, looking over the equipment on the benches.

“A lot has changed since then,” Killian replied, putting down his clipboard and pen with a slam, “Is that the only reason you hunted me down?”

“Hunted? I made you, I’ve always known where you were.” Rumple smirked, leaning against one of the benches, “Primarily, my visit was about the human but it seems like you could use some lessons in being a vampire again. What have you been drinking? Your scent is all wrong.”

“I’m a pathologist, what do you think I’ve been drinking?” Killian sighed, turning to face him with a raised eyebrow.

“The blood of the dead?” Rumple said, his face screwed up in disgust at the notion, “Really, Killian, have you no standards?”

“What are you really here for? To berate me and make me unhappy now I’ve found someone who might possibly accept me?” Killian demanded.

“Accept you?” Rumple replied, “I doubt that when she reads your journal.”

“What journal?” Killian asked in confusion.

“You remember the one that details the Bloodletter’s killings?” Rumple sneered, his furious eyes revealing his rage.

“How do you know about that?” Killian demanded defensively.

“Do you forget how well I know you?” Rumple replied with a raised eyebrow, “You kept notes on the humans you fed from, it makes sense you’d have a woe-is-me style journal about the ones you killed.”

“I hid that journal, how could she have it?” Killian asked.

“It turns out that the killer in your latest case had it. How thoughtful of you to leave it lying around.” Rumple explained.

“It was centuries ago! Liam had just died, I wasn’t thinking clearly!” Killian argued, “If Emma has it then I need to go, both of us do.”

“I would have stolen it back, but you know how CCTV is these days,” Rumple said, tapping his cane on the floor gently, “If she’s as dedicated to her work as she seems, she’ll take the journal home to read. I’d arrange a date and steal it back if I were you.”

“That wouldn’t look good, especially as I’ve already discussed the Bloodletter with her.” Killian sighed.

“You’ve done what?” Rumple demanded.

“She doesn’t know the truth. It came up in conversation during a case is all,” Killian replied.

“It won’t take her long to realise the truth if she has that journal,” Rumple said, slowly making his way to the door.

“I’ll deal with it,” Killian agreed, looking down at his feet as he considered what to do.

“Good boy. Don’t forget to deal with her too if she starts asking difficult questions.” Rumple smirked.

“I won’t hurt her,” Killian argued, meeting his maker’s eyes, “Even if she finds out about us, I’d rather kill myself than her.”

“So dramatic.” Rumple rolled his eyes, “If she finds out about us then I will handle her.”

“Don’t you dare kill her,” Killian hissed.

“Did I mention killing?” Rumple sneered, “Perhaps she might prefer to join us?”

“Who would choose eternal damnation?” Killian asked.

“A human whose only other choice is death,” Rumple replied.

“I would have preferred death,” Killian admitted quietly, turning away from him, “This life is a curse.”

“You think that because you don’t have a mate.” Rumple sighed, “If you had someone to share eternity with then you wouldn’t be so empty.”

“You think that she could be a mate for me?” Killian said in surprise.

“That’s your decision, but I think she could be,” Rumple admitted, “Now, I must be off.”

“How is Milah?” Killian asked, turning to face him.

“She misses you,” Rumple replied softly, looking over him, “We both do.”

With a nod to Killian, the other vampire was gone as suddenly as he’d appeared.

 

\---

 

“Evening,” Killian greeted as Emma opened the door of her apartment. He hadn’t needed to arrange a date, she’d called him and invited him to come over for drinks at her place on his next night off from the hospital, which happened to be just a few days after Rumple’s visit. He held up the bottle of merlot he’d brought with him and she took it from him with a smile.

“You didn’t have to bring a bottle,” she said, closing the door behind him once he’d stepped inside.

“I’m a gentleman,” he reminded her, “It’s good form to bring a bottle of something to a gathering.”

“You’re so traditional and I love it.” she chuckled, leading the way further into her apartment. The main living area was open plan and had large windows that looked out over Storybrooke’s harbour.

“You enjoy the sea view then?” he asked, heading over to one of the windows and looking out while she opened his bottle and poured out a glass for each of them.

“Wow, this is vintage,” she gasped, seeing the date on the bottle, “Should I have kept this unopened or something?”

“Of course not, wine is to be drunk not kept in basements for years on end,” he assured, turning to face her with a smile, “So, the sea view?”

“There were a couple of places to choose from when I moved here, but I’ve always found the sea very calming,” she explained, joining him at the window and handing him a glass, “The waves are so powerful and angry, yet they can be gentle and soft too. You said you wanted to be in the Navy, so I presume you like the sea too?”

“Aye, I sailed often when I was a child and I like the sea for the same reason that you do. She’s majestic and beautiful, yet cruel and destructive too,” he replied, pretending to sip at the wine, “Have you had any other exciting cases since our first together?”

“No, but talking of that, I’ve got something amazing to show you,” she exclaimed, putting down her glass on a side table and rushing over to her bookshelf. She pulled out the journal he recognized straight away and returned to his side, opening it carefully and showing it to him, “It looks like the Bloodletter’s journal. I don’t know if it’s real or whether that kid just made it as some kind of art project, but isn’t it fantastic? It’s so detailed!”

“Is that where you got it from? The crime scene?” he asked, looking over the pages he remembered writing many years before.

“Yes, it was one of the books on a shelf. Forensics have been through it and they say it’s not essential to the case, so I can keep it,” she explained, “If that kid did make it then clearly I need to give him more credit for creativity.”

“Do you mind if I borrow this?” he asked hopefully, “The Bloodletter has always fascinated me and I’d love to take a closer look at this.”

“Of course, no problem,” she agreed, handing the journal to him and picking up her glass once more, “Just make sure you get it back to me once you’re done with it, I’m not sure how I’d explain giving away something from a crime scene to a ‘civilian’.”

“You’ll have it back, Swan.” he chuckled, but he thought back to Rumple’s words and knew he’d need to dispose of the journal to avoid it becoming troublesome. If anyone was to do any serious investigation into it, they’d find that his handwriting was suspiciously similar to that of the Boston Bloodletter.

 

\---

 

Killian had just begun his shift in the lab when he sensed someone watching him from the doorway. Usually he’d notice the presence of another, but he’d recently found his thoughts straying to Emma Swan on more than one occasion. He casually glanced over his shoulder and was surprised by the man he found watching him. The face was wrinkled with age and his hair was greying, but Killian still easily recognized him as David Nolan, the young man he’d known at least 30 years before and Emma’s father. He turned back to his computer, attempting to appear as though he hadn’t recognized the other man.

“Imagine my surprise when my daughter told me who she was dating,” David said as he stepped into the lab, his body still strong and toned despite his age.

“I’m sorry?” Killian asked, turning around in his chair to face him.

“You’re looking pretty young for 60,” David replied, looking around the lab.

“You must be thinking of my father, we look very alike,” Killian tried, watching him.

“Don’t try to pull that one on me.” David hissed with a shake of his head, “I don’t know how, but you’re the same Killian Jones that was here 30 years go.”

“That’s impossible,” Killian argued.

“You’re really going to deny it? Even your glasses are the same!” David exclaimed in frustration.

“David.” Killian sighed in defeat, knowing he couldn’t say anything to convince him.

“You haven’t aged a day. How?” David asked in confusion.

“It’s complicated,” Killian admitted, getting to his feet and leaning against the edge of his desk.

“I have all night,” David replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you sure you want to know?” Killian asked, “You’re not going to run away screaming?”

“You’re dating my daughter, I want to know what the hell you are,” David snapped.

“I’m a vampire,” Killian said, willingly revealing his secret to a human for the first time since he’d told his brother centuries before.

“A vampire?” David repeated.

“Aye.” Killian nodded.

“Right, okay.” David sighed, turning away and pacing for a few moments, “Does Emma know?”

“No,” Killian replied.

“Do you want to hurt her?” David asked, coming to a halt and turning to face him, “If you do then-”

“Of course I don’t want to hurt her,” Killian assured him, “I’ve fallen in love with her.”

“How can I believe you? Vampires drink blood, don’t they? This could all be a game so you can drink her blood,” David accused.

“With respect, mate, if I wanted to drink her blood, I wouldn’t need to date her to do it.” Killian pointed out with a grimace, “If I was that kind of man, I could have just lured her to somewhere isolated and drained her.”

“You’re not a man though, are you? You’re some kind of creature,” David said with disgust.

“Aye, I’m aware that I’m a monster,” Killian agreed, “I didn’t choose to become this, but I do have a choice in how I survive.”

“I’ve seen the vampire films, I presume you’re now going to tell me how you’re different from others of your kind?” David chuckled humorlessly.

“Aye.” Killian laughed softly, “I’m different because I don’t drink blood from the living. I haven’t in centuries.”

“Then how do you survive?” David asked curiously.

“On the blood of the dead.” Killian explained, “I get all the blood I could ever need through my work.”

“Even I find the thought of that unappealing,” David said with a frown, “Why feed like that?”

“I lost my brother quite soon after I became a vampire and the grief caused me to kill a lot of humans in one night. Since then, I’ve sought to live a different life to atone for my sins,” Killian replied, “My hands will never be clean of their blood, but I can ensure that I never kill another.”

“You’ve got principals, I’ll give you that,” David admitted, “Look, I don’t like this, but Emma likes you and I don’t want to be the one to break her heart. You need to tell her the truth, or I will, do you understand?”

“Aye, David. I’ll tell her,” Killian promised, holding out his pale hand for David to shake, “You have my word.”

David eyed his hand before he reluctantly took it and gave it a firm shake.

 

\---

 

“This place is stunning,” Emma said as they walked through the trees to Killian’s cottage, the light from their torches guiding them forward.

“Aye, it’s a special place,” Killian agreed, trying to ignore how similar this felt to when Milah had lured him out into the woods so many years before. He didn’t plan to hurt or kill Emma, but he didn’t know what reaction she’d have to his confession so he’d opted to take her away from any prying eyes.

“How long have you lived here?” she asked as the cottage came into view.

“A few years,” he replied as vaguely as he could, “The cottage was in the family and it was offered to me when I said I’d be coming to work here.”

“That’s convenient.” she chuckled softly, “This definitely looks like the kind of place you’d live.”

“Really? Why?” he asked curiously, pulling his key out of his pocket.

“It’s old fashioned and traditional, but it’s also very charming,” she explained, “Just like you.”

“I’ll accept those descriptions.” he laughed, leading her through the front garden and carefully opening the front door, “Come inside, make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you,” she said, stepping inside and looking around at the books that lined the walls, “For someone so well read, I’m still amazed you’ve never read Dracula. It’s a classic, I’m going to have to get you a copy.”

“I’ll read it if you want me to,” he agreed, shutting the door behind them.

“These are all first editions,” she said in amazement, running her fingers over the spines of the books.

“Emma.” he sighed, unable to delay any longer, “There’s something that I need to tell you, love.”

“What is it?” she asked, turning to face him, “Is everything alright?”

“Perhaps you should sit down?” he suggested gently.

“Killian, just tell me,” she said, “Whatever it is, I can handle it.”

“Well, I’m a vampire,” he replied, his voice quiet as he looked down at his feet, “Have been for centuries.”

She laughed at his words but she quickly paled when she saw how serious he was, “You’re a...a...” she gasped.

“Aye.” he nodded, reaching up and removing his dark glasses so she could see his red eyes.

“How?” she asked, “You seem perfectly normal, how can that even be possible?”

“I was changed long ago after my makers decided they didn’t want me to die,” he explained, “I’ve yet to find a way to end my existence, hence why I’m still alive.”

“Are you going to kill me?” she asked, beginning to back away from him, “Is that why you brought me here?”

“No, Emma, I would never hurt you,” he assured, holding his hands up in surrender, “Your father came to me yesterday and recognized me from the last time I was in Storybrooke. I knew then that I had to tell you the truth.”

“Why didn’t you run? You could have just taken off and kept what you are a secret.” she pointed out.

“I could have done,” he agreed, “But I’ve fallen in love with you, Emma. I couldn’t just leave you. You deserve the truth.”

“Have you killed people?” she asked.

“Aye. I was known as the Boston Bloodletter at one point in my life,” he admitted.

“That was you?” she exclaimed in surprise.

“Aye. My brother had just died and for a short time, I lost my way. I regretted my actions immediately and my makers punished me by leaving me on my own.” he replied.

“There aren’t any other vampires here?” she asked.

“My maker is around at the moment, but otherwise no.” he sighed.

“I have to go,” she murmured, moving towards the door.

“I can’t let you leave if you’re going to tell others,” he admitted, moving to block her path.

“You have my word that I won’t speak a word of this to anyone else,” she promised, “But I can’t be here with you right now. I need time to figure this out, okay?”

“Aye, alright,” he agreed, stepping aside and letting her open the door.

“Don’t take off,” she said, turning back to him, “I’m coming back, I just need some time.”

“I won’t go anywhere,” he assured her, watching her stride off into the darkness in the direction of the town.

 

\---

 

The lab door slamming open interrupted Killian as he compiled his autopsy notes on a clipboard for the hospital.

“David?” he greeted in confusion when the flustered older man stormed up to him.

“What the hell have you done with my daughter?” David hissed, taking Killian by surprise and shoving him back into the wall, “You said you wouldn’t hurt her!”

“David, tell me what’s going on,” Killian said calmly, gently pushing David’s hands off him and stepping away from the wall.

“Emma is missing. The last CCTV Graham’s got is of her walking into the forest with you, it doesn’t take a genius to work out what happened next!” David raged, turning away from him and gripping onto the edge of one of the benches, “Why would you hurt her? She had so much ahead of her, why would you take that from her?”

“I didn’t hurt her,” Killian assured, “We went out to my home in the forest and I told her the truth about me.”

“I suppose hurting and killing are probably two different things entirely to you, aren’t they?” David sneered, “So, what? She freaked out and you snapped her neck? Did you drink her dry? Is she lying out there somewhere in the mud?”

“No!” Killian replied in frustration, “I swear to you David, she was alive when she left my home. I told her the truth and she decided to go home to think about it. I let her go and she told me to stay in town so she could come back to me when she was ready.”

“If it wasn’t you then where the hell is she?” David asked, his anger burning out as his worry grew, “Who would want to hurt Emma?”

“The case she was working on.” Killian realised, “Did she mention that to you? The one where the killer was obsessed with vampires?”

“Yes, but they caught the killer for that,” David replied in confusion.

“What if there were a group of them? A cult of sorts? Only one did the killing but others might have been in on it,” Killian suggested, “I’ll find her David, I promise you that.”

He turned to the desk and quickly logged out of the computer, removing his protective clothing before he headed for the door of the lab.

“You’re going to find her now?” David asked in surprise.

“If it is related to the case then I need to find her tonight, who knows what they’ve already done to her,” Killian replied.

“I’m coming with you,” David insisted, following him to the door.

“No.” Killian decided as he strode out into the corridor, “It’s too dangerous.”

“She’s my daughter!” David argued, grabbing hold of the vampire’s arm, “I should be there, I should help with this.”

“You’ll be the first one I call when she’s safe, but you’ll only slow me down,”  Killian replied, “Please David, trust me. I’ll do my best to save her.”

“Your best isn’t good enough,” David muttered, “You bring her back to me alive and well, do you understand?”

“I’ll do what I can,” Killian said, “Please, let me go. Each moment we waste in this corridor is another moment that the love of my life is in danger.”

“The love of your life?” David repeated in surprise.

“I knew it the moment we met. I’m not just in love with her, she’s the only one for me,” Killian explained, “Let me save her.”

“Go.” David finally encouraged, letting go of his arm, “Bring her home to me.”

“I will,” Killian assured before he took off, making sure not to run too quickly until he was outside and under the cover of darkness. He inhaled and found the scent he was looking for, the only vampire he knew with better senses than himself - his maker.

 

\---

 

“I need your help,” Killian said as he walked through the long grass to join his maker at the highest point that overlooked the entire town.

“I wondered when you’d come crawling back to me, dearie.” Rumple chuckled, patting the space beside him on the large rock, “Come and join me, it’s quite the view from here.”

“Most of our residences were on cliff tops or high ground, why was that?” Killian asked curiously as he sat down beside the older vampire on the rock.

“I like a good view, but I suppose it was a survival instinct from my youth,” Rumple explained, “You think your life has been tough, but centuries before were the hardest days to survive as a vampire. Living on high ground enabled you to see the angry mob on their way to you so you could escape in time.”

“Just how old are you, Rumple?” Killian asked, “You never did tell me.”

“Old enough to have seen empires rise and fall. Your tiny mind couldn’t even begin to comprehend the things I’ve seen,” Rumple teased, “Now, what do you need my help with?”

“Emma is missing,” Killian said, “I think she was taken by a human cult who are obsessed with vampires. They’re probably draining her as we speak.”

“I told you to deal with your pet.” Rumple sighed in frustration, “This is why we don’t engage with humans, they’re trouble and we have to spend all of our time trying to rescue them from each other.”

“You told me to get the journal back to protect us, which I did,” Killian argued, “Please Rumple, I don’t understand what you’ve got against humans. She’s important to me.”

“Like Liam was important to you too?” Rumple said, getting to his feet and turning to face the younger vampire, “How many times do I have to tell you, Killian? It won’t end well. Maybe you’ll save her this time, but what happens next time when you get there too late? Will the Bloodletter make a return? Mass murders are much harder to sweep under the rug nowadays.”

“What the hell happened to you to make you like this?” Killian demanded, “Why do you hate humans so much?”

“I had a son,” Rumple confessed, turning away and looking out over the town, “I did my best to protect him like you do with your pets, but it was useless. I tried to turn him but I failed. It’s pointless to get attached, their lives are so short and we must always move on.”

“I’d rather love them and lose them than never have loved at all,” Killian said, getting to his feet, “I tried picking up her scent on the way over here, but your senses are much more fine-tuned than mine. Please, help me with this and then you and Milah can leave me behind again.”

“You really think that we just upped and left you behind for all these years, don’t you?” Rumple muttered.

“That’s what you did,” Killian argued, “I woke up and you were both gone.”

“We were never far,” Rumple admitted, “We’ve followed you on every move you’ve made, always staying far enough away to hide ourselves but close enough to monitor you.”

“Why force me to live alone for so many years if you were right there the whole time?” Killian asked.

“You needed to learn independence. You were so reliant on us to take you hunting and clean up any mistakes, after that night in Boston I knew it was time for us to go our separate ways. That didn’t mean we stopped caring about you. We’re proud of you for the control you’ve shown,” Rumple explained, “It may seem to you like I’m uncaring or dismissive of you, but you’re the closest thing I’ve had to a son since I lost my own.”

“Then as your son, I’m begging you to help me,” Killian pleaded, “I need to find Emma. I understand if you don’t want to help, but just point me in the right direction.”

“The cannery.” Rumple sighed, “She’s around the same area as the original crime scene.”

“Thank you!” Killian gasped, immediately turning around to take off in that direction.

“Be careful,” Rumple said, “If these humans are obsessed with vampires then they could pose a danger to you too.”

“Aye, I understand.” Killian nodded before he was gone, running off into the darkness to rescue his human love.

 

\---

 

“Emma!” Killian cried as he entered the crime scene and found the woman he loved strapped down to the chair, the arm of her shirt rolled up and the transfusion equipment in use. As soon as he’d gotten closer to the old cannery, he’d picked up the scent of her blood and it had urged him onwards to reach her faster. In his haste, he hadn’t looked around at the rest of the walled space.

“Killian, don’t!” Emma cried out, still conscious and aware as her blood drained out of her drop by drop.

Killian has just a moment of confusion before a gun went off behind him and burning pain shot through him. He gasped, falling to his knees on the concrete, not understanding how a bullet could both penetrate his skin and cause him to feel weak.

“I’m impressed, you’re here much more quickly than I thought you’d be. You’re just as pathetic as I expected though.” A taunting voice smirked from above him, “Didn’t my father teach you any self preservation skills?”

“Your father?” Killian murmured, looking up at the man his senses told him was another vampire.

“Oh yes, we haven’t met, have we? I’m Baelfire, the true son that you replaced!” the man raged, fury in his eyes, “It’s an insult to me to have him calling you son!”

“He said you were dead,” Killian argued in confusion.

“Yes, I knew he thought I was dead when I woke alone in a coffin.” Baelfire sneered, “It’s time for me to take my rightful place in the family now.”

“What have you done to me?” Killian asked as he tried and failed to get to his feet.

“He really hasn’t taught you much, has he?” Baelfire smirked, “The bullet is silver, which is a very effective method of temporarily keeping a vampire down. It won’t kill you, but it will hurt and keep you weak until your body gets used to it.”

“If your plan was to hurt me, then why is Emma here?” Killian questioned, “Just let her go.”

“She’s the bait for you and a nice treat for me after I’m done.” Baelfire chuckled, “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this? Influencing that pathetic loner online to set this whole thing up? Making sure that mopey journal of yours fell into his lap? I deserve a treat.”

“Don’t touch her!” Killian roared, surging upwards.

“You really think you can stop me? You’re a child compared to me.” Baelfire sneered, taking hold of the front of his shirt and shoving him backwards into a large tank full of colloidal silver.

Killian tried to climb out of the tank but as soon as he was submerged in the silver, he could barely move. He hissed and growled, but he was completely powerless.

“That’s stopped you in your tracks, hasn’t it?” Baelfire smirked, walking over to Emma, “That leaves me to enjoy her.”

“Baelfire.” a growl alerted them to Rumple’s presence as the man took in the scene before him, “I thought I’d failed to turn you.”

“You thought wrong.” Baelfire smirked, “And now you get to watch as I kill the girl and turn your beloved replacement son into dust.”

“Killian.” Rumple murmured, approaching the tank and touching the glass, “I warned you to be careful.”

Killian reached out as best he could, putting his own hand onto the glass as he pleaded with Rumple with his eyes to save Emma.

“We’re going to have such fun!” Baelfire chuckled, “Shall we drain the girl together?”

“No.” Rumple said, turning away from Killian and towards the son he thought he’d lost centuries ago, “You’ve gone mad, Baelfire. I won’t allow you to continue on like this.”

Killian began to feel himself slipping into sleep as the silver subdued him. He fought to stay awake and keep his eyes open, but as growls and cries of pain suddenly echoed around him, he was lost to the darkness of sleep.


	3. The Future

“Killian!” a voice called his name from somewhere nearby but Killian was reluctant to leave the peaceful darkness he currently found himself in. He wasn’t quite sure why he was so relaxed, but he couldn’t bring himself to care enough to open his eyes. He could feel himself sinking back into a deep sleep once more when the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted hit his tongue. He forced himself to wake from his slumber, greedily gulping down the coppery liquid. It was only as he opened his eyes and took note of his surroundings that he realized whose blood he was drinking - Emma’s.

“No!” he gasped, pulling back from her arm and weakly trying to push her away, “Not you, not you!”

“Killian, look at me.” Rumple instructed, taking hold of his head and tilting it so they could see each other, “You have to drink. We got you out of the silver and washed as much as we could off you, but you’re not going to last long if you don’t drink as much blood as you can right now.”

“Not Emma.” Killian insisted, even as his voice slurred from the toxic silver running through him, “I won’t hurt her.”

“Hold him down.” Emma sighed, leaning over him once again.

“No!” Killian protested, hissing and growling as Rumple held him still so Emma could place her wrist into his mouth once again. He resisted for as long as he could, but no matter what he did, her delicious blood was rolling into his mouth and he wanted more. He closed his eyes and let himself indulge in the warm human blood he’d denied himself for centuries, letting out something akin to a whimper when her arm was wrenched out of his grip.

“If you take any more you’ll drain her.” Rumple explained, still keeping a firm grip on the younger vampire as he offered his own wrist, “Drink from me. My blood is more potent than a human’s, it should heal you faster and give you the last boost you need to survive.”

Killian took no notice of the sound of a body slumping onto the ground beside him as he bit into his maker’s wrist, his instincts forcing him to focus on survival. He lapped up the rich blood, immensely enjoying the feeling of safety and warmth that it gave him.

“Enough.” Rumple decided after a short time, pulling his arm free and watching it heal, “You’ll need to sleep now. Don’t fight it, just let it come.”

“Baelfire?” Killian murmured, blinking rapidly to keep himself awake, “What happened with your son?”

“I’ll tell you everything you wish to know once you have recovered.” Rumple assured him.

“Emma? Where’s Emma?” Killian mumbled, glancing around and reaching out to where she lay still on the ground beside him, “No, not Emma! Not her too!”

“She’s still alive. Her heart still beats.” Rumple said gently, “Milah and I will take you both back to your home in the woods. We can decide what to do with her then.”

“If she dies, I’ll never forgive you.” Killian hissed, trying to be as menacing as he could as his eyelids drooped.

“You will be the one to decide what we do with her. We will keep her alive until then.” Rumple replied, “Sleep, Killian. Let your body heal.”

“Hurts.” Killian groaned, shifting uncomfortably as the silver burned inside of him.

“You asked me earlier how old I was.” Rumple’s soft voice lulled him to sleep, “I’m an original. A born vampire, not a bitten.”

Killian wanted to know more, to learn exactly who his mysterious maker was, but the world around him faded and he slept.

 

\---

 

When Killian next woke, he was lucid and felt back to his usual strength. He instantly recognised the bedroom around him as his own in his cottage and it took just a single inhale to determine that Rumple, Milah, Emma and… Graham? were all in the cottage with him. He swung his feet over the side of his bed and stood up, stretching a little before he went to the door and pulled it open. He made his way out into the main living area, looking around cautiously to instinctively check for threats. Instead of a threatening or even a frightening scene, he found Rumple, Milah and Emma all sat at his kitchen table while Graham was handcuffed to the radiator on the other side of the room.

“Killian! You have to help me!” Graham cried, the handcuffs rattling against the metal radiator as he pulled against them, “They’re all mad! They’ve taken my blood and they’re talking about vampires!”

“Why is he here?” Killian asked, looking over to the others with a raised eyebrow.

“Killian!” Emma greeted with a relieved smile, getting to her feet and rushing over to give him a hug, “You look much better, we were all so worried!”

“You look better too, lass. How many days has it been?” he asked, stepping back and looking her over. He could tell from her scent and beating heart that she was still human, but he wanted to be sure as she looked significantly better than the last time he’d seen her.

“3 days.” she replied, taking his hand and gently squeezing it, “It turns out Graham and I have the same blood type, a little top-up of blood was all I needed.”

“Branching out into medicine now?” he asked, looking over to where Rumple was sat with Milah.

“It never hurts to know the basics.” Rumple shrugged casually, “I promised you we’d keep her alive, the other human was a lucky find.”

“You see, Killian? They’re talking about humans and blood!” Graham yelled, “We have to get away from them!”

Killian rolled his eyes and turned to face the man, “With respect, Deputy, I am one of them.”

Graham’s eyes widened comically as it sunk in that Killian wouldn’t be his ticket to freedom.

“It’s good to see you.” Milah said, moving with so much grace that she practically glided along as she approached Killian.

“Milah.” he greeted with a smile, pulling her into a hug and closing his eyes as she gave him a comforting squeeze, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” she whispered, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek before she pulled back from him, “Thank goodness you got that blood when you did, your skin was still grey when Rumple brought you back here.”

“I presume it was you that lured away the good Deputy?” he asked.

“You know me so well.” she chuckled with a wink, “You’re still my favourite human I’ve lured though because I got to keep you around afterwards.”

“Thank you for helping to save Emma.” he said, “She means a lot to me.”

“I can see that.” she replied with a warm smile, glancing between the two of them before she returned to the table to sit with her husband.

“You need to make a decision about what to do with her.” Rumple reminded.

“I’ve actually made that decision myself.” Emma spoke up, meeting Rumple’s intimidating gaze, “I want to be like you guys.”

“Emma, that’s a big choice.” Killian warned.

“It’s quite clear to me that my choice is between becoming a vampire and death.” she explained, “Even if death wasn’t my second option, I’d want to become like you. I love you, Killian. I want to be with you forever.”

“Forever?” he repeated, amazed by her declaration.

“If you’ll have me.” she replied, leaning up and placing a kiss against his lips.

“Are you sure?” he whispered, “There’s no going back.”

“I knew the moment you were shot with that silver bullet that I’d do anything to stay with you.” she said.

He studied her for a moment, making sure that she was certain before he nodded to accept her choice.

“We’ll be in the other room.” he told the others, leading her to his bedroom.

“So how do we do this?” she asked a little nervously once the door was shut and they were alone.

“It’s easier if you’re lying down. I’m going to need to almost drain you before you’ll then need to drink some of my blood.” he said, “I’ve never turned anyone before, but I remember my own turning relatively well.”

“If this doesn’t work-” she began as she sat down on the bed.

“It will work.” he assured with determination.

“If it doesn’t, then I love you and it wasn’t your fault, okay?” she said, “This is my decision.”

He nodded, but deep down he knew if he failed to turn her then he’d blame himself for her death until he met his end.

“Okay. Let’s do this.” she stated after a few moments of getting comfortable on the bed.

He climbed onto the bed and lay beside her on his stomach, taking hold of her arm and placing gentle kisses against her skin, “Ready?” he asked, looking up at her.

“Do it.” she agreed with a slightly shaky nod, closing her eyes and forcing herself to relax into the pillows.

He watched her for a moment before he focused on his task and bit into her wrist. She gasped but didn’t cry out as he expected and a part of him wondered if she’d kept her cries quiet to avoid upsetting him. He enjoyed feasting on her blood but the meal was secondary as he listened to the beats of her heart and pulled away from her when she was near death.

“Come back to me, Emma.” he pleaded, biting into his own wrist to draw blood before he placed his arm over her mouth to force her to drink from him. It took a moment or two for her to respond, but when she did he couldn’t help but grin proudly. She took hold of his arm with both her hands and kept it clamped against her mouth, eagerly swallowing down his blood. She fought him when he tried to pull away from her, but he managed to get his arm out of her grasp before he was too lightheaded.

“You need to sleep now.” he told her, thinking back to his own change, “You’ll transform while you sleep.”

“Your blood tastes so good.” she murmured, licking a few stray drops from her lips, “Can’t I have more?”

“Not unless you plan on draining me, love.” he replied with a smile, “Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”

“I love you.” she said before she let sleep take her.

 

\---

 

“Is it done?” Rumple asked as Killian stepped out into the main living area.

“Aye.” Killian nodded, standing awkwardly for a moment as he considered what to do to occupy himself while Emma was going through her change.

“Walk with me.” Rumple suggested, “We have much to discuss and it will be some hours until she wakes.”

“Alright.” Killian agreed a little warily, letting Rumple go ahead and following him with a glance over to Milah. She gave him a shrug but a smile too so he doubted his maker planned to do anything worse than chat.

“I presume you have questions?” Rumple asked as they made their way through the trees.

“Aye.” Killian agreed, “What happened with Baelfire? I remember you arriving but nothing further.”

“I killed him, ripped out his heart and crushed it, then set him ablaze.” Rumple replied simply.

“How could you do that? He’s your son.” Killian asked in shock.

“That wasn’t my son. That was a twisted, deranged monster.” Rumple snarled.

“Why save Emma and I? You could have left us or killed us too.” Killian pointed out, leading them on a slow lap of the cottage. They were far enough away to have their privacy, but close enough to reach the cottage in a split second.

“You really do think me to be evil, don’t you?” Rumple asked with a shake of his head, “We have a blood connection, I can sense where you are and when you’re in danger. Killing you would be like cutting off my left hand.”

“And Emma?” Killian asked, looking over to him.

“She’s important to you and I don’t fancy dealing with your wrath for centuries.” Rumple replied with a chuckle before he became more serious, “She seems feisty, she’ll make a good mate for you.”

“I hope so.” Killian admitted with a nod, looking away and to their path ahead instead, “Before, after I fed from you, you told me that you were an original. What does that mean?”

“I wasn’t turned like you, I was born a vampire.” Rumple said, revealing his most closely guarded secret with barely a flinch.

“How is that possible?” Killian asked in confusion, unsure how a born vampire could even physically exist.

“Vampires have always existed and thousands of years ago, originals ruled as emperors and pharaohs. Over time, most grew tired of immortality and let themselves turn to dust.” Rumple explained, momentarily losing himself in his memories.

“Why didn’t you?” Killian questioned, studying his maker.

“I enjoy what I am.” Rumple replied, blinking himself out of the past and looking over to the younger vampire, “Immortality is exhausting, but seeing the world turn is not. I’ve witnessed so much in my life, how could I want to give that up?”

“How did you end up having a human son?” Killian asked.

“He was half human. I had a human wife. When I tried to turn Baelfire, it didn’t seem to work and I thought him dead.” Rumple said, “Even when meeting him again the other night, I felt no connection to him in the way I do you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this? Why didn’t Milah?” Killian demanded in confusion.

“You never asked.” Rumple replied with a slight shrug, “If you’ll remember, things were rather fraught between us in those days.”

“You seem to have mellowed nowadays, you’re less mean.” Killian chuckled, lightening the mood between them.

“It wasn’t just me causing tension.” Rumple shot back with a playful smirk.

“Aye.” Killian agreed with a sad smile as he thought over the few years he’d spent with his maker so long ago.

“I have a question for you.” Rumple admitted as they began to loop back towards the cottage.

“Oh?” Killian murmured.

“Why didn’t you turn your brother? He was still alive when you reached him, wasn’t he? Why not turn him and save him?” Rumple asked curiously.

“I hated what I was turned into, but it would have completely destroyed Liam. I always struggled with darkness and attempted to cure myself by becoming an uptight Lieutenant, but Liam was always good, kind and full of honour. I would have done anything to save his life, but I would never curse him with this fate.” Killian explained, trying to keep his tone light and not get sucked into the well of despair that always bubbled up when he thought of his brother.

“You could have had him around for centuries.” Rumple pointed out.

“And watch my brother disappear? No, never.” Killian replied softly.

“I’ve always admired you, Killian. Your strong will and honour. I hope that with Emma at your side, you’ll begin to see what you are as a gift, not a curse.” Rumple admitted, his tone more gentle than it had ever been.

“We’ll see.” Killian said, hopeful that Emma really was the key to unlocking a happier existence.

 

\---

 

“Did you clear the air with Rumple? He’s been wanting to speak with you for years now.” Milah asked as she moved through the cottage’s overgrown garden, pulling up weeds.

“He could have come and talked to me at any time, especially now I know he can sense me so well.” Killian pointed out as he followed her, idly collecting the weeds from her as they walked, just as they had centuries before.

“He was too proud. He didn’t want to admit our failures.” she replied.

“He’s my maker, if there were any failures they aren’t your fault.” he said, catching her hand and gently pulling on it to turn her to face him.

“Rumple changed you for me, because I asked him to.” she explained, looking down at her feet, “He was jealous of you for a time, thinking perhaps that I wanted you instead of him. When he saw that wasn’t the case, he tried to treat you better but things were so difficult between you two at that point.”

“Whose decision was it to leave me behind?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Rumple was worried that you wouldn’t learn from your actions, that you’d continue to kill if we allowed your actions to pass without consequence.” she tried to explain, but she felt tremendous guilt over the past.

“So you just left me? He said that you’ve been near me this whole time, why force me to be alone? Why not reach out?” he demanded.

“You weren’t ready. Now you’ve opened yourself up to love again, you’re welcoming to us too.” she said, squeezing his hand, “We are your family, whether you choose to accept us or not.”

“Do you still have my uniform?” he asked, “I know you kept it and it was gone when I woke that night.”

“Of course.” she replied without hesitation, “I wasn’t sure what state you might be in and I knew it was precious to you.”

“That man feels like he’s fiction, like I read him in a book. It was so long ago, I barely believe it was me.” he admitted quietly, his lips pulling into a sad smile.

“You’ve grown as a person due to your experiences, but don’t doubt yourself. You’re still a navy man with principals and good form.” she reassured him gently, squeezing his hand once more before she let him go and continued to move through the garden.

“Do you think Emma will take to this life?” he asked, taking more weeds from her.

“She wanted to join us, that will help her to accept it. She’ll also have you, her mate.” she replied, stopping briefly to study a flower.

“I suppose I should gather blood bags from the hospital to give her the first feed and to help sustain her.” he mused, wanting the change to be more successful for Emma than it had been for himself.

“We have a living blood bag for her already.” she said with a confused smile.

“Graham isn’t a blood bag, he’s her friend. She won’t want to kill him.” he sighed, his fist clenching a little as he thought of the devastation Emma would feel at harming a friend.

“She won’t care about him after her first taste of his blood. I sampled some myself while we took his blood to keep her alive, he was quite tasty.” she chuckled.

“If she killed him, she’d never forgive herself when she came to her senses.” he insisted with a shake of his head.

“Perhaps she doesn’t have to kill him? She could take some from him and some from you?” she suggested, attempting to assist but his lack of interest in killing had always fascinated her as it wa so wrong for a vampire to feel that way.

“Do you think it’s a good idea for me to offer myself to a newborn?” he asked, “She was quite keen to drain me when I turned her.”

“You were the same when Rumple turned you, vampire blood is addictive to humans. She loves you, her emotions will be enhanced with the change, but she won’t want to hurt you.” she reassured him, humming to herself as she pulled up another weed and handed it to him.

 

\---

 

“You can’t keep me here like this. I’m the Deputy Sheriff, that should mean something to you!” Graham was in the middle of proclaiming as Killian stepped into the cottage after helping Milah in the garden.

“It’s your turn to babysit the human.” Rumple said, putting down his book with a glare in Graham’s direction, “He’s reminding me more and more why I prefer to eat them instead of keep them as pets.”

“I need to speak with him anyway.” Killian admitted, giving his maker a nod and taking a seat in the armchair close to where Graham was sat on the floor, “Is there anything I can get you?”

“Are you serious?” Graham demanded, “How about the key to these cuffs?”

“I can’t do that, mate.” Killian said, “Anything else? Water? A pillow?”

“Now you care about my welfare? I’ve been stuck here with you crazies for days!” Graham yelled, “This is unlawful imprisonment, you’ll all be going to prison for this!”

“You really think a prison could hold one of us?” Rumple spoke up from the other side of the room, moving in the blink of an eye to crouch in front of the Deputy, “It would be the humans that were caged, not us.”

Graham shrank back against the wall, “Get the hell away from me!”

“Do you know why you’re still alive,  _ Deputy Sheriff _ ?” Rumple sneered.

“Rumple.” Killian murmured warningly.

“You’re still alive because you’re  _ useful _ . The moment you stop being useful is the moment you die.” Rumple continued, his voice low and menacing, “You should be grateful Killian is here. He doesn’t like torture, so you might get a relatively quick end, but I can promise you it won’t be painless.”

“I always knew you were strange, but I never imagined you’d be a monster.” Graham said with a glare at Killian.

“I have a proposition for you.” Killian replied, not responding to Graham’s comment about him, “It’s a deal of sorts.”

“Remember dearie, not taking the deal isn’t an option that will end well for you.” Rumple smirked, licking his lips before he moved back to the other side of the room.

“Who is he?” Graham asked Killian shakily, his eyes fixed on Rumple.

“My maker.” Killian replied simply, “Graham, mate, Emma is currently going through her change to become a vampire. When she wakes, she’s going to need human blood.”

“What do you want me to do? Run through the forest so she can hunt me?” Graham demanded in horror.

“As thrilling as the idea of a hunt is,” Killian chuckled, swallowing down the thirst that rose in his throat at the suggestion, “Emma won’t want to kill you, so I’m offering you a compromise. You allow her to feed on you without making her feel guilty and I’ll stop her before she takes too much.”

“What do you get out of it?” Graham asked warily.

“A happy mate.” Killian admitted, “I don’t want Emma’s first experience of this life to be guilt. I’ll ensure you live and if you promise to keep our existence a secret, we’ll let you go and make sure you’re promoted to Sheriff.”

“Alright.” Graham sighed with a reluctant nod, “You have a deal.”

 

\---

 

Killian paced anxiously around the room, waiting for Emma to wake. He could feel it in his very being that her change was complete and he couldn’t wait to look into her eyes once more. He knew he’d miss her vivid green pupils, but their loss was worth it if he got to keep her beside him forever. He hoped that she’d still love him in her new form, he couldn’t imagine a future without her.

He stopped pacing and turned to face her when he heard movement from the bed. She was still, but he could see her taking in the sounds and scents around her, remembering when he’d done the same. He was both nervous and excited to discover what her reaction to her new form would be.

He watched with bated breath as her eyelids flickered open and she studied the ceiling above her, just as he had done when he’d first woken. She raised her arm and held her hand above her face, captivated by the details of her pale skin that she could now see so clearly.

“Emma.” he said softly to draw her attention to him.

“Killian?” she murmured, looking over to him and examining him with her improved vision, “You’re even more stunning than you were to me before.”

He chuckled at the compliment and shook his head in amusement, “How do you feel, Emma?”

“I don’t know how to describe it.” she said in amazement as she sat up on the bed, “Everything is so crisp and I feel like I could do anything, but there’s this ache in my throat…”

“That’s your thirst, love. You need to have your first feed to complete the change.” he explained, moving towards the door, “Come this way, follow your nose to the human blood, it’s best to get you fed straight away.”

He turned away from her for just a moment but it was a moment too long as a weight landed suddenly on his back, slim arms and legs wrapping around his torso as the newborn vampire nosed at his neck.

“Do we really need to go out there? Can’t we stay in here?” she asked and he could hear the pout in her voice as her breath tickled his neck, “You smell so appealing to me.”

“Swan, I promise you won’t be disappointed when you try the human blood.” he told her gently, reaching up and placing his hand on one of her arms, “If you’re still thirsty later, I might let you take a bite or two, but you need to have the human blood first.”

“Deal.” she agreed after barely a moment of thought, placing soft kisses on his neck, “Have you always smelt like this? You’re driving me crazy.”

“Your senses are in hyperdrive right now, they’ll settle down and scents won’t smell as strong.” he chuckled gently, “Soon I’ll smell like just another boring vampire to you.”

“I doubt that’s even possible, you’re so much more than another boring vampire.” she replied, placing another kiss on his neck and taking a moment to enjoy the scent of his blood before she huffed, “Fine, take me to the human blood, maker mine.”

“Hold on tight.” he teased, keeping one hand on her arm as if to steady her whilst he opened the bedroom door with the other.

 

\---

 

Graham was stood against the far wall in the living room, alone but no longer cuffed to the radiator. Rumple and Milah had left earlier to feed and to give Killian some time with his new mate away from prying eyes.

“Here we are, love. Can you smell the human blood in the air?” Killian said, turning his head as best he could to watch Emma. Her eyes were shut and she was breathing deeply, her tongue running across her fangs slowly as she took in the scent.

“Emma, you look… different.” Graham said, his voice a little shaky despite his attempts to look strong and put together whilst faced with two vampires who could overpower him and kill him in a second.

“Graham.” Emma gasped, her red eyes wide when she realised exactly who the human was. Her instincts urged her to kill him, but she knew she’d never forgive herself if she did. Her arms tightened around Killian and she shook her head, “No Killy, I don’t want to kill him.”

“Killy?” he responded with a chuckle.

“What? Don’t you like it?” she asked with a playful smile, momentarily distracted from her concern about Graham, “I think it suits you.”

“If you say so, love.” he replied with a soft laugh, “I never said that you have to kill him. That’s your choice. You can feed from him without draining him. If you like, I’ll stop you before it gets to that point.”

She looked a little uncertain at the suggestion and looked over to Graham, “Are you willing to let me drink your blood, Graham?”

“I am.” he replied with a determined nod, but his eyes were still wide with fear, “Killian and the others tell me it might even be enjoyable for me.”

“The humans I’ve fed from in the past have found it quite pleasurable.” Killian spoke up, trying to reassure them both, “You’ll just have to remember to keep your hands off my lady, mate.”

“Are you sure their pleasure wasn’t just from your appearance?” Emma suggested with a wink.

“I like this new you, darling. You’re ever so flirty.” he chuckled.

“A perfect match for you, handsome.” she murmured, leaning in and placing gentle kisses on his neck again. Although she was thirsty, her interest in him was clearly winning.

“Come on down, love, your meal won’t come to you.” he urged, reaching up and tapping her arm to try to get her attention.

She grumbled at his insistence, her fangs gently nipping at his neck.

“Later.” he assured her and she finally climbed off him, standing beside him and looking over to Graham with a tilt of her head.

“Where do you...want me?” Graham asked with a nervous swallow, his eyes darting between them both.

“Killian, will you hold him still? I need you to be close enough to stop me.” she said, forcing herself to move slowly and remain in control as she walked towards the human.

“Of course.” Killian replied, moving at vampire speed and appearing beside the human. He firmly held the man’s upper arms, stopping him from moving away, “Don’t worry, Graham mate, you’re going to be just fine. A little pinprick and then it’ll be a good feeling.”

“Right.” Graham murmured, clearly not believing that being bitten and fed on could ever be enjoyable.

“Where should I bite?” Emma asked when she reached them, her red eyes roaming Graham’s body as his scent filled the air around them.

“Stick to the wrist for now. It’ll be easier for him to hide and easier for me to stop you.” Killian suggested.

“Alright.” she agreed, gently taking hold of Graham’s arm and bringing his wrist up to her mouth, “I’m sorry, Graham.”

“It’s okay.” he replied with a sharp nod, closing his eyes and tensing his muscles. As Killian had explained, the first bite was a pricking sensation, but as soon as Emma began to drink, he was lost in a sea of pleasure and relaxation. Killian was relatively sure that if he hadn’t been holding Graham still and upright, the man would have collapsed.

As he’d promised Emma, Killian stopped her before she took too much of Graham’s blood and took a moment to carefully lay the human down on the sofa to rest.

“Still thirsty?” he asked her and he was relieved when she shook her head, glad that they’d be able to spend some time doing something that didn’t revolve around blood.

“Can we go outside?” she asked hopefully, moving to the window and looking out at the dark night, “I bet the stars look pretty impressive with these eyes.”

 

\---

 

“There aren’t words to explain how stunning they look.” Emma breathed as she lay outside in the grass with Killian, their eyes fixed on the night sky above.

“The constellations never cease to calm me.” Killian replied quietly, his head resting on his arms as he looked up at the glittering stars, “They’re one of the few things that have stayed the same throughout the centuries.”

“Will you tell me about you?” she asked, rolling over onto her side as she turned her focus on him, “I know the cover version of you, but I want to know the truth. Tell me everything.”

“That would take rather a long time, I’ve lived for so many years.” he said, turning onto his side to face her.

“We have forever.” she reminded him with a grin that exposed the pointed tips of her fangs, “Start with human Killian Jones, who was he?”

“A lost boy.” he responded, rolling onto his back and looking up at the stars as he allowed himself to remember his hazy human life, “My mother died when I was very young and my father was left to care for me and Liam, my older brother. He didn’t last very long before he was in debt and had turned to criminal activity. He took us away with him one night and claimed that we were all going to be starting a new life together, but he traded my brother and I for a rowboat. We woke aboard the ship in the morning to our new life as slaves.”

“You were slaves?” she gasped in horror.

“Like I said, it was many years ago. Children were often sold as slaves or used as cheap labor when I was young.” he replied, “My brother was my everything from that point forward. He was the only family I had left and he acted as a friend, a protector and a parent to me. He taught me to read and write, as well as how to look after myself aboard the ship. We served our time on the ship until we’d saved enough money to buy ourselves out of our slavery. In those days, the military offered signing bonuses, so that gave us enough to start a new life.”

“So that stuff you told me before about wanting to be a Captain, that was true?” she said with a smile.

“Aye.” he nodded, his own lips pulling up into a sad smile as he thought back to how proud he’d been to enter the Navy and to have opportunities falling at his feet, “My brother made it to Captain, but I only managed to get to Lieutenant before...”

“Before you were turned?” she guessed, “How did it happen? Were you ill?”

“The opposite, love. I was at peak physical fitness, I was about to take my Captain exam and then I let a woman lure me into the woods late at night.” he sighed, still frustrated with himself for his actions on that night, “She wasn’t just a woman, she was Milah and that was the night that Rumple became my maker.”

“They just turned you? Just like that?” she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“They chained me down and took their time in feeding from me, stealing my life away while I  _ enjoyed _ it.” he replied with disgust, “Rumple turned me because Milah decided it would be a waste of my beauty for me to be killed and buried in a shallow grave somewhere. They never once asked me, or considered what they were doing to me.”

“What about Liam?” she asked, trying to change the subject when she could see him becoming visibly angry by the memory alone.

“When I could control myself, I began watching Liam and behaving as a protector of sorts. He found out about me, my brother always was incredibly observant, and he accepted me for the monster that I was.” he explained, “24 hours later, he was dead and a few days after that, I became the Boston Bloodletter.”

“And then you were left on your own.” she realised, remembering what he’d told her before.

“Aye.” he agreed with a nod, “But my future didn’t look so lonely when I met you.”

She smiled, knowing he was trying to lighten the mood, “I felt the same way.” she replied, leaning in and capturing his lips with hers.

He leaned in closer to her, bringing a hand up to rest in her hair as they kissed beneath the stars, the moonlight dancing across their pale skin.

 

\---

 

“You don’t have to do this.” Killian insisted for what felt like the hundredth time as they stood together outside of her parents’ home, “You’ve only been an immortal for a matter of hours, you could lose control and then how would you feel?”

“I’m not thirsty.” Emma replied, leading the way up the front path, “I fed from Graham, remember?”

“You’re a newborn, that won’t sustain you for long.” he warned gently, “It’s not good to tempt fate. You don’t know how you’re going to react to them and if your instincts take over, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop you before you’ve killed them both.”

“Killian.” she snapped, her expression both determined and annoyed by him trying to put her off, “They’re my family, they need to know the truth. If Liam accepted you, then Mom and Dad will accept me too.”

“I was in control, I was no danger to Liam.” he argued quietly, “This is dangerous, Emma. Rumple will go mad when he finds out that I allowed you to come into the town.”

“I need to do this.” she said simply, walking up to the door and knocking. They only had a couple of hours before the sun came up and they’d need to be back at the cottage, but luckily her parents were early risers.

“Emma!” Snow cried joyfully when she opened the door but David stopped her from reaching out to their daughter, spotting the red eyes immediately.

“What did you do?!” he hissed at Killian.

“Mom, Dad, can we come in?” Emma asked gently, “I’d rather that the whole street didn’t hear about this.”

“You must be Killian.” Snow greeted as they stepped into the house.

“Aye, lovely to meet you Mrs Nolan.” he replied with a smile, glancing over at David to see he was being glared at.

“Why did you do to our daughter?” David demanded again, refusing to sit down as everyone gathered in the living room.

“Dad, will you stop?” Emma sighed, looking over to her parents, “Killian did what I asked him to do. He turned me into a vampire because that’s what I wanted, what I still want.”

“A vampire?” Snow gasped, her hand going quickly to her mouth and her eyes filling with tears, “Emma, why would you want to become that?”

“So Killian and I can be together forever.” Emma answered, taking Killian’s hand and giving him a smile, “We love each other and I had to become like him to stay with him.”

“Now you’re here to kill us, I presume?” David sneered, his whole body vibrating with rage, “You said you were going to save her, Killian! Not turn her into a monster!”

“She saved me in the end.” Killian replied softly, squeezing Emma’s hand, “Mr and Mrs Nolan, I love your daughter very much and that’s the only reason I agreed to turn her.”

“We’re not monsters.” Emma insisted to her parents, “I just wanted you to know the truth, so we didn’t just disappear on you.”

“Have you killed someone?” David asked quietly, “Did you drain someone of blood before coming here?”

“No.” she assured him, “I fed from someone who was willing and they’re still alive.”

He nodded a little at her words, taking a deep breath and considering the situation.

“If you’re happy, Emma, then we’re happy for you.” Snow admitted, going over to her daughter and giving her a hug, “It’s a shock, but we would never turn you away. ”

“I couldn’t turn away my own daughter.” David agreed, approaching and gently giving Emma a hug too.

“I’m sorry.” Emma said sadly, stepping back from them both as the ache in her throat rose, “We should go, I’m still new to this whole vampires and humans thing.”

“Don’t disappear.” David pleaded, his anger all but fizzling out, “Please, no matter what happens in the future, don’t leave us behind without a word.”

“I promise you’ll always have contact with us.” she agreed, giving both her parents a smile before she allowed Killian to lead her from the room.

  
\---   
  
“Welcome to the family, Emma!” Milah exclaimed with a big smile, opening the door of the cottage when Emma and Killian returned from their visit into the town.

“Where were you two?” Rumple asked when they stepped inside, giving them both one of his disapproving looks.

“I wanted to tell my parents the truth about what I’d become.” Emma replied, seeing no reason to hide it from him, “They were a little uncertain, but they took it better than I expected them to.”

“You let her roam the town so soon after her change?” Rumple gasped in horror, “Killian, she’s a newborn! She could have killed hundreds!”

“I could have stopped her if I’d needed to.” Killian said defensively.

“Really? How?” Rumple asked with a raised eyebrow, “She’s stronger than you at the moment.”

“Boys.” Milah sighed, moving to stand between them, “Will you two behave? Even for just a little while now Emma has joined us?”

“I’m sorry for taking such a risk.” Killian murmured, trying to show how much he’d grown up and matured during his time alone by stepping down first. In his youth, he would never have backed down during a confrontation with Rumple and that is what had caused most of their problems. He knew that Rumple was only trying to protect them as a group and keep their secret hidden from humans, but his patronizing tone had always irritated the younger vampire.

“If Emma is content then it was worth it, as long as no one was harmed.” Rumple replied with a nod, accepting the apology, “You both just need to be careful. You know what happens when you are consumed by your thirst, Killian.”

“Aye, I know.” Killian agreed, thinking back to all the times he’d lost control and needed his maker to stop him, “We won’t be taking risks like that again. It was a one-off.”

Emma looked between the two of them, fascinated by the history they shared and the group dynamics that were clearly at play. She could see that Rumple was their leader, but it seemed that Killian was only just accepting that so openly.

“See, I knew you two could play nice.” Milah complimented them both, reaching out and grasping hold of their hands, “This will be so much better than the old days now you’re getting along.”

While the three older vampires shared a moment, Emma moved over to the sofa where Graham still lay after Killian had put him there before their trip out. She quickly checked him over, making sure he was still breathing and his heart was beating before she covered him with the throw to keep him warm.

“We’ll need to return him tomorrow when we wake.” Killian said, coming to stand beside her, “I made a deal with him that I intend to stick to.”

“I feel exhausted.” she admitted, leaning into his side, “Is that normal? I’ve only really been awake for a couple of hours.”

“We naturally start to become drowsy before the sun rises.” he explained, taking her hand and leading her to his bedroom that would now be theirs, “As you get older, you’re able to resist sleep for a little longer, but we all have to sleep during the day.”

“We never got to have our private time together.” she pouted as she undressed and climbed under the covers.

“We have forever.” he reminded her, undressing too and joining her.

“What about your job at the hospital?” she asked, “They’ll be wondering where you are.”

“I called them and quit while you were changing.” he admitted, reaching out and running his fingers through her hair, “I have more than enough money to last us several lifetimes, love. The job was a distraction, something to keep me going day after day, but now I have you.”

“I love you.” she said, leaning in and capturing his lips in a kiss.

“I love you too.” he replied as their lips broke apart, wrapping his arms around her as she cuddled into him.   
  


\---

 

“I could get used to this.” Killian murmured when he woke at sunset to kisses being placed all over his torso. He blinked himself awake and looked down at Emma, his lips pulling up into a smile when she looked up at him with a grin.

“You did promise me a taste if I fed from Graham.” she teased, leaning down and nipping at his skin with her teeth.

“Aye, I did.” he agreed, closing his eyes and arching his back a little as her teeth sank into his flesh and she began to swallow down his blood. The feel of her feeding from him didn’t give him the same pleasure that it would a human, but it was still an enjoyable experience.

“Just as tasty as I remember.” she purred, lapping at the bite mark with her tongue before she moved up his body to reach his lips.

“Maybe I should check to see if you’re just as delicious as you were as a human?” he suggested with a raised eyebrow, gently rolling them under the covers so he was on top of her.

“Maybe you should.” she giggled.

He leaned down and placed soft kisses on her neck before he bit into her shoulder, only taking a few drops to taste her and to mark her as his mate before he moved to face her again.

“Delicious.” he confirmed with a wink and a smile.

As soon as his mouth was within easy reaching distance, she captured his lips in a searing kiss.

He deepened the kiss, tasting his own blood in her mouth which only heightened things for him. He was pressing her into the mattress, their hands beginning to roam, when knocking on their bedroom door disturbed them.

“Up and at it, lovebirds!” Milah called from the other side of the door, “You need to return this human before Rumple and I get peckish.”

Killian growled in his throat at Milah’s words, hating that she was right and that they’d need to resume their activities later.

Emma groaned as he climbed off her, clearly disappointed too that they couldn’t take things any further at that specific moment.

“Who needs wedding rings when you have matching bite marks?” she joked as she sat up and stretched, glancing at the bite on her shoulder and the one on his chest.

He pulled on his clothes and sat down on the edge of the bed, taking her hand, “When the time is right, love, I’ll give you a wedding ring too.” he promised.

Her eyes widened, “Really?” she said softly.

“Aye.” he nodded, “It was good form in my day to marry a lass that you intended to spend the rest of your life with.”

She squeezed his hand and pecked his cheek, “I’d like that a lot.” she admitted.

He brought her hand up to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss before he continued to get himself as presentable as possible to face the others.

“I’ll be right behind you.” she called as he slipped out of the room, giving her a smile before he shut the door behind him.

 

\---

 

“What’s wrong, mate?” Killian asked with a frown, noticing how Graham jumped when he appeared in the living room.

“I presume this is it then?” Graham replied, getting to his feet and moving towards the corner of the room, “You’re going to kill me.”

“Will you tell him, Killian?” Milah asked from where she was sat opposite Rumple with a chess set between them, “We’ve tried to make him understand that we’re not going to kill him, but the human seems sure he’s to meet his end.”

“We’re not going to kill you, Graham.” Killian tried to reassure the human, “We made a deal, didn’t we? I intend to honour that deal.”

“I don't believe you.” Graham said, his eyes darting between the vampires and the door, “Why would you keep a deal with me? I know your secret, I’m a threat to you, it makes sense to kill me.”

“All of which are points that I’ve made.” Rumple spoke without even looking up as he moved a chess piece, “He’s practically campaigning for his own death now!”

“You’re going to take me out into the woods and then that’ll be that! No one will ever find me!” Graham insisted, clearly much more panicked than he’d been the day before.

“Why are you so afraid?” Killian questioned in confusion, “You were calm yesterday.”

“You enjoyed it, didn’t you, Graham?” Emma’s voice came from the far side of the room as she emerged from the bedroom, “You enjoyed the feeling of being fed from and you know if one of us decided to drain you, you’d like it.”

Graham gulped at her words, “I didn’t ask for any of this.” he accused them, “You brought me into this madness, it’s not my fault if you’ve caused me to have feelings about it that don’t make sense!”

“You really think you’re alone in enjoying being fed from?” Milah asked him with a smirk as she got to her feet, “Every human craves it once they’ve felt it. When we lured Killian away and drained him, he begged us for more. You don’t fear us killing you, Graham, you fear us feeding from you and you pleading with us to keep going.”

“You have my word that we won’t harm you or feed from you again.” Killian promised, ignoring the others and approaching Graham, “I’ll take you home myself.”

“Alright.” Graham finally agreed, his eyes focusing on Killian as he chose to believe the man.

Killian nodded and headed for the door, pulling it open and stepping outside.

“Will I ever see you again?” Graham asked Emma, turning back to face her as he stood in the doorway.

“One day.” she replied with a smile.

Killian led Graham away from the cottage and into the surrounding forest, using a torch to light their way for the human’s benefit. The majority of their walk through the trees was in silence, both too preoccupied with their own thoughts to make conversation.

“Where will you go?” Graham asked as they arrived at the edge of town, street lights in the distance.

“We have a number of other residences around the country.” Killian replied, “It’s about time I moved on anyway, I’ve stayed long enough.”

“How do you do it?” the human asked curiously, “Moving from place to place, I mean? Surely you want to settle somewhere?”

“I grew up on a ship, travelling has always been a part of me.” Killian said, “I do dream of finding somewhere that could be home, but humans notice when we don’t age.”

“Couldn’t you just stay in a cabin in a forest somewhere?” Graham suggested.

Killian chuckled as he shook his head, “It doesn’t work like that when you live for eternity. The forests that were everywhere in my youth have been cleared to make way for towns and cities. We have no choice but to keep moving to stay hidden.”

“How should I explain this to people?” Graham asked when they reached his apartment building.

“Emma and I fell in love and ran away together to live a life of adventure.” Killian replied, “You’ll find that people will forget we were ever here once enough time has passed.”

“Good luck, and thank you for not killing me.” Graham said sheepishly, holding out his hand.

Killian took his hand and gave it a shake, “See you again, mate.” he responded with a smile. He let go of Graham’s hand and walked away, disappearing into the darkness as though he’d never been there at all.

  
  


\---

 

Years passed and the vampires flitted from place to place, teaching Emma how to control her thirst and enjoying travelling together as a group. Rumple had been correct in thinking that Killian would feel more positive with a mate; with Emma at his side he finally felt as though he’d been blessed instead of cursed. Had he not been turned, he would never have met her, which was a thought that had led to him finally forgiving his maker for turning him.

After a decade together, the two couples decided to go their separate ways for a time, agreeing to meet at a specific place in the future so they could continue their travels together. Killian and Emma chose to make themselves at home somewhere remote and coastal, deciding to use the time together as a honeymoon of sorts.

“Where are you going?” Killian murmured when he woke after sunset to find Emma already dressed and pulling her shoes on.

“Out.” she replied with a secretive smile.

“Surely you can’t still be thirsty after we fed yesterday?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, thinking back to the humans they’d drunk from. It hadn’t been long after they’d set off from Storybrooke that they’d both begun drinking blood from the living, determining that it was time to enjoy what they were instead of trying to fit in with the human world.

“I have an errand to run.” she said, leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead before she grabbed her purse and headed towards the bedroom door, “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“Be careful, Swan.” he called after her, pulling the duvet up over his head and allowing himself to enjoy another couple of hours of sleep. Usually he was up and awake as soon as the sun set, but there were days when he preferred to laze around in bed with his wife for hours on end. They’d married a couple of years before, with Milah and Rumple as their witnesses, adding matching wedding rings to their matching bite marks.

The next thing Killian knew, his wife had jolted him awake by landing on top of him and placing a kiss on his lips.

“You’ve really been asleep the whole time I’ve been gone?” she chuckled, leaning back so he could sit up against the headboard.

“Aye, I do allow myself some time to relax sometimes.” he replied, his hands resting on her hips, “Am I allowed to know about your errand now?”

“Almost.” she said, taking his hand and bringing it up to rest against her cheek, “You’ll need to get dressed first though. I have a surprise for you.”

“Now I’m intrigued.” he admitted, climbing out of bed when she let him up, “Any particular outfit you’d like me to wear for our trip out?”

“Something smart.” she decided, admiring him as he began to get dressed.

“Are you taking me to the opera again, darling?” he asked as he buttoned his shirt and tucked it into his trousers, “As much as I enjoy it, a day spent with you is much more engaging.”

“We’re not going to the opera.” she laughed, getting up from the bed and checking her hair in the mirror, “It’s much better than that.”

“Is that right?” he murmured, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her as he nipped at her neck.

“There’s no time for that now.” she said, turning in his arms, “Come on. It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

He let her go with a teasing huff and followed her from the bedroom and out of the house, taking her hand and gently swinging her arm as they walked together towards the coastal town that was now their home.

“Close your eyes.” she said when they were a short distance away from the harbour.

“You’re not going to push me in, are you?” he joked, closing his eyes and trusting her to guide him to wherever she wanted him to be.

“Don’t tempt me.” she smirked, pulling him along for a couple of minutes before she gently stopped him and turned him on the spot so he was facing where she wanted him to be, “Okay, open.”

He opened his eyes and blinked, scanning his surroundings instinctively before his gaze fell on a ship moored in the harbour, “Swan, why are we beside a ship?”

“It’s our ship.” she whispered in reply, leaning in and resting her head on his shoulder, “It’s my surprise for you. After so many centuries, I think it’s time you became a Captain.”

He immediately spun to face her, pulling her into a kiss and showing her just how grateful he was, “You’re magnificent, Swan.” he said when they pulled apart.

“I try my best.” she winked, taking his hand and squeezing it, “I’ve loaded the fridge with blood bags, so we’re stocked for weeks. It’s not what we’ve grown used to, but there’s a microwave to warm it.”

“I’ve dreamed of this for so long.” he admitted, gazing at the ship.

“After you, Captain Jones.” she said with a grin, holding onto his hand and letting him lead the way aboard his new vessel.

 

\---

 

Hundreds of miles away in the town of Storybrooke, former Sheriff Graham had just finished one of his monthly lectures about the supernatural.

“I’m telling you, vampires are real.” he insisted as his audience left the library, “They’re everywhere, hiding in plain sight.”

He sighed, running his hand threw his hair when the small crowd of people left without showing much interest in his declarations, and he was alone in the library once more.

Since his brush with vampires a decade before, he’d begun researching and trying to make contact with them. He told himself it was to hunt them and kill them, but he knew that deep down he just wanted to experience being bitten again. He’d given up his job as Sheriff to dedicate his days to his research, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find any way to contact the immortal creatures.

He collected up his lecture materials into his rucksack and locked up the library, leaving the key in the safe spot for Belle, the librarian. He walked down the quiet side street of the building, moving away from the main road and into the isolated, shadowy car park where his car was parked.

“Hello dearie.” a very familiar voice started him when he reached his car and sure enough, Rumple was waiting for him.

“What do you want?” he asked, knowing it was useless to try to outrun a vampire. He’d not seen any of them since they’d left him behind, but he’d always expected them to return at some point.

“I’ve heard you’ve been sharing secrets about my kind.” Rumple said with a dark smile, pushing away from where he’d been leaning against the car and slowing making his way to Graham, tapping the tip of the cane on the ground as he moved, “I can’t allow that to continue.”

Graham began to back away as the vampire approached, “I haven’t told anyone about you specifically. I kept your secret.”

“You’re causing trouble and others have noticed.” Rumple replied with a heavy and clearly over exaggerated sigh, “So I’m afraid there’s only one thing for it…”


End file.
